The Power of Words
by hannah5240
Summary: Over recent months, it had become apparent to Eddie that his love for Rachel still very much remained. It seems he just needs the courage to admit it to someone other than himself. Can one conversation give Eddie the confidence to confess his true feelings once more? And will Melissa really go down without a fight? Apparently, words can sometimes hold the greatest power of all.
1. A Reminder Rather Than a Realisation

_Hi everyone, so here is the new fic I have mentioned a few times. I wasn't planning on getting the first chapter out to you guys as soon as this, but I've managed to write quite a bit over the past few days. I will probably be updating once every two days or so, as long as everything goes to plan. _

_The idea for this story came about quite a while ago, when I was re-watching series 4 episode 9 (the one after Maxine's death when Rachel is thinking about resigning)… and anyway, the conversation between Eddie and the therapist that featured in that episode (I believe her name was Charlotte) got me thinking and kind of set me off with writing this. _

_I hope you guys enjoy it, and as ever, I will be grateful for any opinions :) x_

Chapter 1: A Reminder Rather Than a Realisation

They had been discussing his upcoming marriage to Melissa, how he should take control of the situation. Somehow though, Charlotte's words had magnetised Eddie's mind towards somebody else entirely. The one woman he couldn't seem to shake his feelings for, and frankly, Eddie didn't necessarily want to.

Rachel Mason. He was supposed to be marrying her sister sometime in the near future, and yet, Eddie couldn't help but compare the two siblings. Although true, it had become increasingly hard to admit, even to himself - he doesn't love Melissa, he just didn't want to be alone anymore. In recent months, it has become apparent that Rachel is the only one he is capable of loving.

On the first day of term, Eddie's heart had shattered when she had turned him down. Now, he acknowledged that his timing was completely off kilter, Eddie should have waited until the moment was right. Still, he could comprehend why he had rushed into things. When Rachel was strewn seemingly lifeless in a hospital bed, Eddie had made a vow to himself. He promised that as soon as Rachel woke up, his feelings would be brought to light. Nothing hurt more than the possibility of Rachel not surviving the fire, and leaving this world unaware of the true extent regarding his love for her.

Even more harrowing, was the expression that clouded Rachel's features upon seeing his reaction to her scar. Immediately after averting his gaze, pangs of conscience settled in the pit of Eddie's stomach. Evidently, Rachel saw his response as disgust, it was clear she believed that he couldn't bear to look at her damaged skin. Of course, that was far from the truth. When Eddie witnessed the burn, a surge of emotions had come crashing down on him, these thoughts almost forced him to glance away, to compose himself and fight back the imminent tears. Knowing the way Rachel's mind worked; she would see herself as ugly, worthless and someone who deserves nothing more than to be discarded like a piece of rubbish. So the salty residue that formed in his orbs, were tears of sadness and sorrow. Not only that though, tears of red hot anger directed at Stuart Hordley; for tearing Rachel's livelihood apart.

A painful thought had occurred to Eddie, what if Rachel simply didn't feel the same? No, he couldn't think like that. Eddie wasn't a deluded man - before the fire, he and Rachel _had_ been getting close. And if it wasn't for Hordley's actions and Rachel's injuries, they would have gone out for the drink which was planned, and that would have been the start of what Eddie knew could be a fantastic relationship. So putting aside his doubts, Eddie focused on more rational thoughts; Rachel just hadn't been ready to take that next step with him. After suffering life changing injuries, of course their potential relationship wouldn't have been at the forefront of her mind. At the time, not allowing Rachel to heal before he admitted his feelings was Eddie's biggest regret. With more recent occurrences though, Eddie held far more remorseful actions to consider.

At the beginning of his relationship with Melissa, an irrational decision had been made; somewhere in Eddie's thought process, a voice said that Mel could partially fill the hole in his heart, a gulf created by Rachel's initial rejection. Of course, once again he couldn't have been further from the truth; if anything, his relationship with Melissa had caused the hole to become even more substantial. In the depths of Eddie's mind it sounded clichéd, like some sort of an excuse. Speaking the truth though, would be to say that Melissa was just there. She was easy to talk to, and for a split second, she had taken Eddie's mind off the love of his life. He guessed you could call it the wrong place, wrong time.

"_It's easy to feel like you've lost control." _

The counsellor's utterances swam around in Eddie's brain, restraining him to think about nothing other than Rachel. Seemingly, that didn't exactly differ from his normal state of mind. Eddie _had_ lost control, that was another thing more than evident. When he proposed to Mel, it felt as if some kind of superior force was overruling him, tarnishing his ability to make decisions. Why did he do it? To provoke a reaction from Rachel? Make her see sense? It was unclear. Eddie's vision had been clouded by his jurisdiction that was rapidly spiralling out of control. Apparently, much like everything else enclosed in his current circumstances.

"_Events are running you and not the other way round."_

Highlighting the facts for Eddie, he found himself relating to everything Charlotte was saying. Although, he imagined that it wasn't in a way which she would expect. The woman's second comment had linked to her prior statement perfectly - Eddie felt suffocated by recent events; they had taken over both his mind and his body. The way Rachel had pushed him away on the first day of term, took over Eddie's existence like it was some form of infection. From then on, it dominated his brain, and affected his usually sensible and loving way of thinking (especially where Rachel herself was concerned). On top of this, once more Eddie sensed a familiar pool of sickness forming in his stomach, upon pondering his proposal to Melissa. That particular event was a phenomenon Eddie would certainly never forgive himself for.

For now though, a more prominent occurrence was overpowering Eddie's every breath: Rachel's resignation, with immediate effect as she had put it. He couldn't bear the fact that if she left as planned, he would no longer see her every day, he wouldn't be surrounded by her presence, in the office or in the staff room. Even though, to Eddie's regret, a lot of his current time had been snatched away by numerous encounters with Melissa, it would be difficult to live without those precious moments he shared with Rachel. His mind was overflowing with musings about his love for her constantly, and it seemed part of that now, was to do everything in his power to stop her rash decision of resignation.

"_Make people dance to your tune"_

Yes, Charlotte had put it perfectly. In fact, that was exactly what Eddie intended to do. In the privacy of his classroom, he set out a plan of action, means of which he could get Rachel to backtrack on an evidently life changing decision. It wasn't just her job she was throwing away either, Rachel remarked upon leaving teaching altogether. A fresh start.

In the midst of his recurring thoughts, Eddie had decided that her influence on the students was far too exceptional to just discard without persuasion. Eddie had to make her see sense, and open her eyes to the fact that the pupils at Waterloo Road need her, the staff need her, he needs her. Of course, the niggling notion which was currently attacking Eddie's mindset couldn't be ignored either. Deep down, he knew this wasn't just about Rachel's resignation. No, Charlotte's comments had made Eddie realise a lot more than that. It was time to act on his ever growing love and desire for Rachel. He had spent enough time hiding, and shying away from the consequences of his actions. Eddie needed Rachel just as much as the school needed her.

Extending Charlotte's metaphor, it was time to face the music. Time to make people dance to his tune. Finalising his thoughts, Eddie decided that there was only one way forward - his relationship with Melissa had to end. His connection to her was a ticking time bomb, one that was already destructive prior to exploding. With Melissa, and without Rachel, Eddie gathered that it wouldn't be long before his own life was torn to shreds. So, accepting that his year 11 mocks wouldn't be getting marked any time soon, Eddie set out to find Melissa and bring this imploding mess to a standstill.


	2. You Love Her

_Hi everyone, thank you for the reviews. I'm glad you are liking this story so far. _

_Hope you enjoy this chapter :) x_

Chapter 2: You Love Her

As Eddie found himself in the midst of hurried students, he came to the conclusion that lesson change over time wasn't the best option for locating Melissa. Still, whether or not he collided with a pupil was not at the top of Eddie's agenda. As harsh as it sounded, his priority was to cut things off with Melissa, and lay the whole truth out for Rachel to consolidate. He'd had enough of hiding from the matters sitting at the forefront of his mind, and shying away from his true feelings towards Rachel. Shutting off his past misdemeanours, Eddie decided that it was all to change in upcoming hours.

Just as he was about to reach Mel's classroom, a familiar voice had Eddie backtracking and turning on his heel.

"Yo, sir!"

Bolton Smilie. Out of all the pupils, Bolton in particular was someone who gravitated Eddie's thoughts towards Rachel, and her never ending list of achievements. When Eddie began at Waterloo Road, with Jack Rimmer in charge, he had seen no way forward for this young boy. Bolton was stuck in his ways and didn't hold an ounce of awareness for the people around him. In Eddie's eyes, no matter what lengths he went to for the teen, it seemed that it had just been one of those things.

And then Rachel came along. She was someone who persevered no matter what obstacles she came into contact with. Ultimately, watching Rachel shape Bolton into a respectable young man, was a contributing factor towards Eddie's irrevocable love for her.

One specific day stuck out in Eddie's mind. Rachel had returned from a prison trip which Bolton attended, and he was making his way to see her. Reaching her office, alarm bells had begun to ring upon hearing raised voices on both Bolton and Rachel's part. Entering the room with Rachel's safety at the forefront of his mind, Eddie questioned the teen's behaviour instantly. Rachel had objected, explaining everything was alright; still though, Eddie had retained his presence.

The events that had unfolded over the following few moments, caused admiration to radiate from every fibre in Eddie's being. He concluded in that minute, that Rachel was the most phenomenal human he had ever come across. Removing Eddie from his reminiscing, utterances emanated from Bolton's lips, forcing Eddie to crash back down to reality with an almighty thud.

"Earth to Lawsonnn..." the boy commented, motioning with both hands in front of his teacher's face.

"Sorry Bolton," Eddie fumbled, moving a step closer to his pupil. Upon noting the genuine joyous expression etched within Bolton's features, Eddie considered that it was somewhat a rarity, so wanted to dig that little bit deeper.

"What's got you looking so cheerful anyway?"

"Mason's not resigning innit," Bolton chirped, demeanour positively glowing.

Upon hearing this newfound revelation, Eddie's expressions matched that of the teenage boys' perfectly, and left him utterly stunned.

Following the deputy's speechless state, Bolton spoke once more.

"Look, you've got me to thank. Reckon you can wangle it so I've got no more maths work for the rest of the year," the boy joked, grin splitting his face in half.

"I don't think so lad," Eddie beamed back, before focusing his attention on a second declaration in Bolton's last sentence, "what do you mean when you say I've got you to thank?"

"Well after all that stuff with the gun and that, I didn't wanna come clean. So I said to Mason, if I talk, then you stay. I talked, so she's staying," Bolton said, pride escaping his features upon rethinking the situation.

"Where's Miss Mason got to now?"

"She's still with Rose, think Denzil's getting out."

"Well done Bolton," joy coloured Eddie's tone as he patted the boy on the shoulder.

"Cheers sir. Laters!"

And with that, Bolton had turned to join Paul and the rest of his crew. That left Eddie feeling overly elated, considering that Rachel wasn't going anywhere, and he would be in her presence as per usual everyday at school. Although, as he approached Melissa's likely location, it seemed that no good news could conceal his difficult task at hand.

...

Upon noting Melissa's empty classroom - other than the woman in question - Eddie placed a knock on the door before entering.

"Not like you to be so formal Eddie," Melissa commented, referring to his choice of arrival.

Eddie simply smiled in response, wanting to shift the topic of their conversation as soon as possible. There was nothing he wanted less than to prolong the current relationship between him and Rachel's younger sister. No matter how intense and awkward things could get, Eddie made a promise to himself that this was something he was going to follow through with.

"Look Melissa, I think we need to talk."

His serious tone had the expected effect - Melissa's position changed from her seat in the chair to directly in front of him. Her features were full of worry and apprehension, which strangely only reinforced Eddie's decision. The longer he kept this up, the worse it would get.

"What is it, has something happened?"

"Let's just sit down," Eddie gestured to a nearby desk, avoiding all questions as of yet.

Eddie still hadn't decided whether or not to tell Melissa his reasonings behind their break up. He wasn't sure if it would be for better or for worse. Prior to proceeding, Eddie reckoned the questions which Melissa posed would almost force him to answer those worries. Only time would tell.

"I've just been thinking a lot, today in particular."

By the look on Melissa's face after these initial words, Eddie sensed that this conversation was something that she had been anticipating. This heightened his concern significantly: _what else had she picked up on? _

"And it's just made me realise, how at speed everything seems to be going between the two of us."

Eddie had been on the verge of confessing; part of him wanted to reveal all with regards to his feelings for Rachel. Equally though, he wanted an opportunity to speak to Rachel for himself, Eddie reckoned that Melissa would rob him of that opportunity if he came clean now.

"Eddie, what's brought this on?" Melissa questioned, taking a step closer to him. It appeared that she wasn't going to back down. Eddie guessed that she would fight this until she got an answer, and it somewhat unnerved him.

"Like I said, it's just that, we've only known each other a few months, and well, we are already engaged."

"Well you did propose!"

"I know that Melissa, I know," Eddie commented in irritation, holding a hand up with hopes of diffusing the situation and Melissa's bubbling anger, "I just don't think we know each other as well as we should. I made a mistake when I proposed to you, and I'm sorry."

"So what are you saying? That we should call off the wedding? Or just go our separate ways? Where has this come from?"

Her rage fuelled interrogation was something Eddie had predicted. Which was why he felt confused with himself when no plausible answers sprung to mind. It didn't seem righteous in any way, shape or form to reveal his love for Rachel to Melissa before divulging them to Rachel herself.

Apparently sensing this, Melissa stopped for a moment to investigate Eddie's features. Despite avoiding her stare, Eddie felt exposed. To him, it felt as if she had pulled back his facade and found the key to the inner workings of his mind. With the expression now evident in her demeanour, this was only emphasised. Something had clicked in Melissa's brain.

"It's Rachel. You're in love with her, aren't you?" Mel declared as she began to pace up and down the classroom, "I saw the way you were looking at her yesterday, and how you've been with her today, persuading her not to resign."

"Mel- ''

"All this time..."

"Melissa just calm down."

"You're not even denying it, it must be true," Melissa screeched, making a move for the door.

"Look, let's just talk about this before you go running off."

"There's nothing more to talk about. You've said what you wanted to say."

Before Eddie could even interject, Melissa had walked right out of the classroom. He made an attempt to follow her, but it proved useless. As Eddie reached the door, Melissa was already making her way up the second flight of steps. Crucially, on the way to Rachel's office. All he had left to cling onto, were Bolton's earlier words. The boy had said that Rachel was assisting Rose with Denzil; he just had to hope that it was still the case.

Eddie was left feeling deflated, it seemed so far he had done more harm than good. If Melissa projected these accusations towards Rachel, Eddie feared that she would push him away once more. Only this time Eddie wouldn't back down. He was sure Rachel felt the same way. As he thought back on the manner with which she reacted when he questioned if she was okay with his and Melissa's relationship, Eddie realised that it highlighted her true feelings perfectly. As long as Eddie kept those thoughts in mind; he would persist.

….

"Melissa... are you alright?"

Rachel had just arrived back at her office having been supporting Rose at the young offenders institute. She had been on her way to find Eddie, to let him know that her mind had been swayed by Bolton, when a very conflicted looking Melissa had appeared in sight.

"Not really no," Melissa snapped, avoiding all eye contact with her.

Rachel's brow furrowed as her mind entered overdrive. Something significant had taken place, Melissa was usually a carefree spirit, not someone who over thought every little detail.

"Come on, let's go to my office. I can get you a coffee."

The elder sister could almost envisage the anger seeping from the blond's features, so didn't anticipate the way she agreed so easily.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Rachel questioned. The pair were perched on the sofa, steaming mugs of coffee in hand.

"You're telling me you don't know? I mean, it's not as if you don't feel the same… it's highly obvious."

If at all possible, Rachel's curiosity heightened, as she found herself wondering what on earth Melissa could be rambling about.

"Melissa… I'm sorry, but you're not making any sense."

The younger sister slammed her hot drink down on the table before standing up, so that she was towering over Rachel.

"God, Rachel… it's not like you to be so dense."

Rachel felt as if she should reply, but before she even had a chance to place her words together, Melissa continued on her rampage.

"Eddie loves you! And don't sit there and tell me that you don't love him too."

Eddie. Loves. You.

Under any other circumstances, a smile would have controlled Rachel's lips at even the thought of those three words. Ever since she had rejected Eddie on the first day of term, Rachel had regretted it. After he got together with Melissa, Rachel reckoned that her chances with him had been well and truly burnt to the ground.

It seemed that Rachel was too wrapped up in her thoughts to notice the way her office door swung open and smashed off the wall. Or the familiar presence now apparent in the room. Only when her sister scoffed was Rachel made aware of her surroundings. Bringing her eyes level with the third party to the now seemingly confined space, Rachel was met with the sight of the very man himself. Eddie.


	3. A Case of Irrepressible Selfishness

_Hi everyone, thank you for the reviews as always._

_Hope you enjoy this chapter :) x_

Chapter 3: A Case of Irrepressible Selfishness

"Rachel."

Eddie's gaze was directed at her first, and from the expression he held, Rachel doubted that he was even aware of Melissa's company.

"Would be nice if you let me leave first, before you start staring into each other's eyes."

Eddie's head darted towards the source of the voice, immediately switching his soft demeanour to an intense glare. Surely what Melissa said can't be true. Rachel couldn't quite comprehend it; Eddie had been living with her sister, they were engaged, he _loves _her. His feelings for Rachel were long gone, he had made that clear in recent weeks. Hadn't he?

Rachel's eyes were now fixed on her lap, and a hand was fiddling with her necklace. Anything to distract herself from this current situation. In fact, Rachel was so lost in removing herself from this mess that she jumped when the door slammed back into place moments later.

"We need to talk Rach."

Readjusting her mind, Rachel recognised that Melissa was no longer present. Aside from everything, a pang of guilt surged through Rachel's body. There was no denying that Mel had been selfish on arrival at Waterloo Road. Rachel had revealed to Melissa her true feelings towards Eddie, yet still, the blonde had pursued her own desires. Despite all of this though, Melissa was her sister, someone she would care about deeply, no matter the scenario.

"Where's Melissa?" Rachel queried, voice barely above a whisper.

"She just stormed out. I think she needs some time to… think this all through."

By now Eddie had taken a seat next to her on the sofa. His presence was intoxicating; the way the side of their knees were gently rubbing together seemed to suffocate Rachel's thoughts.

"You've ended things with her I take it?"

Eddie nodded, looking marginally apprehensive of his inevitable confession.

"Why?"

Rachel didn't want to assume. In her brain, it was still unlikely that Eddie's feelings for her had lingered all this time. If that was the case, surely he would never have gotten involved with her sister.

"Did Melissa mention anything to you?"

Eddie chose to dodge Rachel's question of 'why' for now. He wasn't sure if he was ready to express the true extent of his feelings, or even if she was ready to hear it. Revealing his feelings too soon had been the cause of all this mess and heartbreak, so Eddie wasn't willing to take that risk again. The time had to be right.

"Melissa was just talking nonsense… she's obviously upset."

Rachel couldn't expose the truth of Melissa's comments. How foolish would she look if they turned out to be a web of lies? Or in Rachel's mind, _when_ they turned out to be a web of lies.

For Eddie, hearing Rachel allude to the fact that Melissa had been talking nonsense had flipped his earlier doubts on their head. Evidently, and as expected, Melissa had divulged his true feelings towards Rachel. On top of this, the apprehensiveness in Rachel's voice was clear, he had to reiterate everything Melissa had brought to light, so that she would believe it. Perhaps it was a case of a now or never moment.

"The truth is Rachel - ''

Eddie didn't get the opportunity to continue. The office door flung open once more, revealing a rather startled looking Tom Clarkson.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we've got a problem."

Rachel stood instantly, closely followed by Eddie. Both parties were mentally and physically preparing themselves for what could have happened. With the past year in mind, it seemed that anything was possible. But as well as feelings of concern and anxiousness, Eddie found himself cursing whatever or whoever had caused Tom to come into Rachel's office at that particular moment. Seemingly like always, time was not on Eddie's side.

"Melissa's just stormed into Grantley's classroom. Something about 'collecting her son and getting out of this place for good'... Philip wasn't best pleased."

Eddie turned to Rachel and sighed, momentarily rolling his eyes in annoyance. Of course it would be Melissa. Meanwhile, Tom was busy glancing between the two senior members of staff, attempting to decipher the wordless conversation they were currently having.

"Eddie," Rachel turned to him fully, placing a light hand on his upper arm, which most certainly didn't go unnoticed, "I think you should leave this one to me - ''

"Rachel - ''

"No, Eddie," she kept her tone lower now, not wanting to expose Eddie's love life to staff room gossip. She trusted Tom, but for Eddie, who she cared about so deeply, Rachel wasn't willing to take the risk, "she's obviously worked up as it is. I just think, talking to you will be the equivalent to adding fuel to the fire."

As he agreed reluctantly and watched Rachel follow Tom out of the office, Eddie could see her point. On top of this though, with Melissa's truthful accusations at the forefront of his mind, he didn't think that the younger sister would exactly welcome Rachel's upcoming negotiations.

….

With Grantley's classroom fast approaching, it did cross Rachel's mind that if Melissa's revelations were true, she would be the last person she wanted to see. All the while though, these doubts were swiftly outweighed with a second thought suffocating Rachel's brain. For her, the idea that Eddie _loves _her was next to impossible. Only if the words escaped his mouth would she consider believing them, and Rachel was trying not to dwell on that too much. It didn't do any good for her self control.

The voice of Tom divided Rachel from her reverie, as they reached Grantley Budgen's classroom, "they're in there. Grantley has stayed with Melissa and Philip, I managed to get the rest of the class to make their way to my classroom, where Davina's keeping an eye on them. Didn't think they needed to see the full extent of Philip and Melissa's private life laid out on the table."

"No… thank you Tom, I'll deal with it from here."

"Not a problem," the English teacher spoke as he walked away, "just let me know if there's anything I can do."

Rachel nodded her thanks before taking a deep breath. She caught a glimpse of the three occupants of the classroom and became witness to a furious Melissa, a startled Philip and a rather amused looking Grantley Budgen. Perhaps the English teacher's current state was the least surprising occurence of the day.

Reaching out for the door handle, Rachel braced herself for the worst. This conversation really was a case of making or breaking a future relationship with her sister.

"Mr Budgen, if I could just have a private word with Philip and Miss Ryan."

Turning to face Rachel as he walked out, as ever Grantley was the bearer of witty yet unnecessary comments.

"Me thinks that sister of yours needs putting on a leesh."

Rachel could only be grateful that the statement barely received a roll of the eyes and a scoff from Melissa. Another thing which could have easily spiraled out of control and added to the mess which seemed to have accumulated that day.

"Thank you Mr Budgen, you can go now."

The dismissal was clear, and for once, Grantley followed his orders. A smirk was still evident on the man's features as he emerged onto the corridor, and it didn't go amiss for Rachel as she figured out her next best steps.

"Did Eddie not want to show his face?"

The spite which coloured Melissa's tone was immeasurable, and Rachel felt unsure of how to respond. For now, it seemed that Philip had some questions of his own.

"Mum, what the hell is going on?"

"Why don't you ask your auntie Rachel? Go on Phil, ask her why Eddie has ended things with me."

"Melissa," Rachel interjected, raising her arm slightly in the hope of calming her sister's anger, "whatever has gone on between you and Eddie, it's got nothing to do with me. Now why don't you start, by explaining to me exactly what's happened. You know, help me to understand."

"Oh don't talk to me like that. I'm not one of your students."

Rachel sighed, perhaps realising that she wasn't really going to get anywhere when Melissa was in this state. The blonde was right, she wasn't one of her students. In fact, she was far more difficult to negotiate with. Seemingly, this thought was only backed up with a second comment from Philip.

"Mum. Will you just listen to Rachel for once."

Initially, upon hearing Philip's choice of words, Rachel winced internally. Her younger sister never took kindly to indirect insults, certainly not from family members. But as Melissa glanced at her son, Rachel spotted a new expression. Maybe this was where her younger sister finally dropped the stubbornness and opened up.

Glancing away from Philip's gaze, the woman in question settled her eyes on the floor and perched herself on the edge of a nearby desk.

"Eddie… he just came to me, and said that everything seemed to be moving so fast between us. He mentioned the engagement, and just our entire relationship. The thing was, he wouldn't give me a proper explanation."

Philip and Rachel exchanged a glance, and Rachel found herself not willing to listen to whatever Melissa was going to say next. She could tell that her younger sister was about to repeat her earlier suggestion, and Rachel wasn't sure if her heart rate could take being told that again.

"He wouldn't say why Rachel. But I saw it, I saw it in his eyes. He's in love with you, and I know you feel for him too."

Once again, Rachel was left speechless. Familiar feelings washed over her entire being and left her wanting to believe what Melissa was saying. She couldn't though, Rachel had her little sister to think about. Yes, Melissa had disregarded Rachel's feelings at the start of the school year, but that didn't mean Rachel would feel comfortable with giving the blonde a taste of her own medicine. On top of this, Rachel still stood by her earlier conclusion. She couldn't deem this revelation truthful until she heard it from Eddie himself.

"Melissa… do you not think that you've perhaps got the wrong end of the stick here?"

The blonde shook her head violently, backing up her next words, "no. And there's something else you should know. Maybe then you'll accept that I'm telling the truth."

Rachel felt sick to the stomach. She couldn't think what else could possibly be revealed today. Not trusting her legs to remain standing, the elder sister took a seat opposite Melissa on the desk next to Philip.

Finally grasping to courage to once again meet Melissa's exasperated stare, Rachel glanced up at her sister who took the gesture as a signal to elaborate.

"That night… my first day. When Eddie and I went to the pub, and you didn't feel up to it. We drank too much, the both of us. But Eddie he in particular… he started telling me all about his feelings for you. The way you had pushed him away the previous day and how… madly in love he was with you."

Rachel's earlier nauseated state seemed to be replaced with the inability to breathe steadily. She had known all along that Melissa was capable of selfishness, but not to this extent. How could she be so heartless?

"He was well and truly down in the dumps Rach… and I'll admit, I took advantage of that. Flirted with him when I should have been giving him advice. When he _wanted _me to be giving him advice. Of course he didn't remember the next day, he was too drunk to. I think if he had recalled the conversation, there's no way we would've progressed in our relationship."

Rachel found herself searching for something, anything to say. Several things sprung to mind. She wanted to scream at Melissa, ask her why and how she could've done such a thing, both to her and to Eddie. But her current state took over and she had lost the means of speech.

"Why mum? Why would you do that?"

Rachel glanced up at her nephew to be met with an expression of disbelief. She guessed that the boy looked exactly how she felt at that moment. Confused and utterly shocked at Melissa's manipulative personality.

"You wouldn't understand Philip," Melissa said, turning her attention away from Rachel, "your auntie has always got her own way. So I decided to change that. Just this once."

"Oh Melissa. That's not true and you know it," Rachel spoke in an exasperated manner, hoping that the tremble in her voice wasn't evident.

"Yeh.. well that's how I've always seen it. Even after being a whore people still wanted you."

It was a low blow - Philip, Rachel and probably even Melissa herself knew that. Swallowing a lump in her throat, Rachel made a move to speak but was beaten to it by Philip.

"Do you realise how sick and twisted you sound right now? I mean… from what I know, Rach has been nothing but nice to you. She gave you a bloody job here for god's sake."

Rachel managed to discreetly flash her nephew a small smile. She was appreciative of his efforts, and his sincere words were something that Rachel would always remember.

"Like I said Philip, you wouldn't understand."

Silence elapsed for a few moments, an uncomfortable one at that. Hazarding a guess, Rachel presumed that Melissa was anticipating some sort of response from her, and maybe Philip wanted to reply to his mother's previous comment but couldn't quite find the words.

"Right, well. I'm not staying here," Melissa began, "so you're going to have to find a new head of extended services. I'm fancying a change anyway, might move down south somewhere."

Philip remained quiet, and Rachel was intent on returning his favour.

"Do you really think that's fair on Philip? I mean… hasn't he been moved around enough?"

"I don't think that's for you to decide."

Philip stood now and took a few steps closer to his mother, "no, maybe it's not for Rach to decide. But it is for me to, and I'm not going anywhere with you mum, not after this."

Melissa scoffed before glaring at her son, "and where are you going to go exactly? A youth hostel?"

"He can stay with me," Rachel responded to this in an instant, receiving a thankful look from Philip.

"Should've seen that one coming," Melissa muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

Philip and Rachel looked unsure of what was to come next until Melissa stood and made a move for the door. Reaching the exit, she turned one last time to face Rachel in particular.

"Enjoy Eddie Rach. I'm sure he's now got everything he's ever wanted."

With that, the blonde turned and left; leaving Rachel to pick up the pieces.


	4. I Just Want to Hold You Forever

_Thank you so much for the reviews, they mean a lot. _

_Hope you guys enjoy this chapter too :) x_

Chapter 4: I Just Want to Hold You Forever

With Melissa gone, the atmosphere between Philip and Rachel was suffocating. The boy was thoughtful, conjuring up ways to comfort his aunt, anything to alleviate the pained expression which was currently etched within her features. Rachel herself felt frozen. She was attempting to regulate her breathing following on from her sister's confession. She couldn't quite comprehend the selfishness and spiteful nature involved in Melissa's actions. Had the tables been turned, Rachel wouldn't have dreamed of doing such a thing. How could Melissa do that to her own sister? They were supposed to be family, _loyal _to one another. The younger sister's revelation was far from either of these things.

And then Rachel remembered Philip. Melissa had just abandoned him, disregarded his presence entirely. Rachel knew she had to show her nephew that she was there for him, that unlike his mother, she wasn't going anywhere. Looking up at the teenager, Rachel wondered how she was going to manage taking care of Philip's well being on top of her current conflicted emotions. It wasn't a question of _if _she could handle it, Rachel _had _to handle it. It wasn't at all in her nature to be selfish and put her own needs before others, and that certainly wasn't going to come to a halt now.

"Philip," Rachel spoke softly, catching the boy's attention, "do you think you'd feel up to going back to lessons? Or you can sit in here and get on with some work. I believe Mr Budgen has free lessons all afternoon."

Rachel's initial instinct was to keep Philip's routine as normal as possible. Knowing him fairly well, Rachel gathered that her nephew wouldn't want to sit and ponder on his current circumstances, he would prefer to distract himself with his usual tasks. Of course, if he was feeling up to it, Rachel would encourage him to open up about his feelings later. But if Philip was anything like herself, the whole situation would be far too raw at this current moment in time.

"I'll get back to lessons. People will only talk more if I'm gone any longer."

Rachel flashed her nephew a sympathetic smile, "I'll see you later Philip."

The boy stood and made a move for the door, before stopping to lean on the door frame and turning back to his aunt.

"I'm sorry Rach. For what mum did."

"Oh Philip, you've got absolutely nothing to apologise for. And I meant what I said, you can stay with me for as long as you wish."

Philip's smile was genuine now, and Rachel was glad that she could bring him a slight bit of happiness in this undoubtedly confusing situation.

"Thanks Rach," he spoke before exiting the classroom.

All Rachel wanted to do was curl up into a ball and cry. It seemed to be the only remedy for this current mess she found herself in. But that wasn't a possibility, something she had to accept. Whilst at school, she was a headmistress. Rachel couldn't let her guard down, not even to herself.

So taking a deep breath she stood, blinking back the salty residue which was threatening to fall. Walking out of the classroom and heading for her office, Rachel could only hope that Eddie had a lesson now, and he wasn't perched on the sofa or sat in her chair. She wasn't sure if her emotional state could take anymore revelations today.

But of course, Rachel could never be that fortunate.

Eddie stood as she entered, walking over to her slightly. He was evidently taken aback by Rachel's distressed demeanor, and his expression was questioning what on earth had taken place with Melissa.

"Rach?" Eddie queried, allowing his interrogative manner to seep into speech.

Rachel didn't know what to say, didn't know if she could even speak for that matter. She worried that if she opened her mouth, the somewhat inevitable tears would fall. Eddie had the outstanding ability to break down all of Rachel's walls and see through the mask she placed on her face from day to day. So she prized her eyes shut, hoping that this action would stop Eddie from noticing the slight glisten of tears no doubt present. This was why Rachel found herself jumping slightly upon sensing the warmth of Eddie's hand on her upper arm. It was something that would have normally sent shivers down her spine, and given her thoughts that weren't necessarily professional at work. Now though, it gave her a sense of comfort that perhaps Rachel didn't realise she needed. But it was a gesture which certainly didn't help her persistence to contain her emotions.

Rachel opened her eyes now, somehow not trusting herself to avoid falling into Eddie's embrace with them shut. She regretted her decision though, upon becoming witness to the abundance of emotions swimming in her deputy's own eyes.

"Come on, let's sit down," Eddie's voice was soft and calming, far from the way Rachel's thoughts were currently rambling on in her mind. His hand never left contact with her arm as Eddie guided her over to the sofa. Only when the pair were positioned did he allow himself to ever so slowly remove it.

The look of care and concern remained though, and the warmth left by Eddie's touch lingered on Rachel's skin. Something which she found far too relaxing for her own self control.

"What happened with Melissa?"

The sound of her sister's name rolling off Eddie's tongue made Rachel's skin crawl. She gathered that he would be just as distraught finding out about Melissa's confession. Rachel wasn't sure if she could stomach putting him through that.

Rachel focused her attention on the sleeve of her blouse, fiddling with it to avert her mind from the truth. She had to divulge all to Eddie. She couldn't keep something as significant as that from him. It would undoubtedly put her on par with Melissa.

"She's gone Eddie."

"What do you mean gone?"

"She's left, without Philip."

Eddie sighed, the reality of this situation hitting home. He couldn't stop the pang of guilt which coursed through his body to think that he had been the one responsible for Melissa's abandonment of Philip. If he hadn't ended things with her, the poor boy would still have a mother. And yet still, the alternative was worse. Eddie had been living a lie. He was in love with another woman, he was in love with Rachel. To continue with the deceit would have caused Philip an immeasurable amount of hurt in the end anyway. The truth always found a way of revealing itself.

"Rachel… I'm..."

"Don't apologise Eddie. It's not your fault," Rachel spoke sincerely, aligning their eyes for the first time since taking a seat on the sofas.

Eddie sighed once more before responding, "why has she left for good? Why leave Philip? The poor lad..."

"She began to blame me, for you ending things with her."

This was it, Eddie saw it in Rachel's eyes. She was aware of his love for her. Eddie just had to make her believe it. But he had to hear her out first, and allow Rachel to comment on her version of events. Eddie had to know what had gone on so that he could care for Rachel. The way she was currently holding herself told him that she was far from okay.

"I was trying to diffuse the situation, I asked her to explain what had gone on between the both of you. So she did," Rachel gulped slightly, if Eddie didn't already know that she had discovered his feelings for her, he was about to find out.

"I… I couldn't believe what Melissa was saying. What she was saying you'd said to her."

It took every ounce of Eddie's willpower not to interrupt Rachel's words, and explain to her just how true it was, and just how much she meant to him. But he couldn't, not yet, so Eddie bit his tongue and hoped to convey in his facial expressions more than words ever could.

"I think… she wanted to make me believe her. So she told me something else. The night you and her went to the pub, when I presume you got together."

Eddie didn't miss the pained expression which flashed across Rachel's features upon recalling that particular sentence. He began to curse himself once more for everything he had put Rachel through, for even getting together with Melissa in the first place. Why did he ever try and avert his thoughts from Rachel? It was an impossible task, one he didn't wish to undergo. Eddie should've put all his energy into showing Rachel how beautiful she was inside and out, scar or no scar. Something which he was more than willing to do now, if she would let him. As well as these intentions though, Eddie found himself wondering what it was that Melissa had revealed to Rachel. What didn't he know?

Rachel broke eye contact once more, not trusting herself to reveal all whilst gazing towards Eddie. She paused for a moment, and reminded herself that this had to be done.

"Melissa told me how drunk you both were, you in particular. She said that you erm… you…"

Rachel couldn't get her words out. How was she supposed to repeat Melissa's earlier utterances to the man whose feelings she wholeheartedly reciprocated? _Oh yes, she was just saying how madly in love you are with me. _

"Melissa said that you confessed to her your feelings for me. She admitted that she gathered you'd been looking for advice, but she still went ahead and flirted with you. She mentioned how you must've been too drunk to remember the following day. And if… if you had recalled it, then you and her would never have gotten together."

Like a tsunami, the entire conversation with Melissa that evening crashed over Eddie. As well as this, a mixture of intense thoughts and feelings engulfed his mind. His initial instinct was to comfort Rachel, she was obviously cut up about this, and rightly so. But Eddie's anger and animosity towards Melissa seemed to possess him. Shortly after capturing Rachel's eyes in his own for a split second, Eddie stood, flinging his arms up in the air.

"How could she do that to me? Never mind me… what about you?" the emotions were evident in Eddie's tone as he spoke, along with his shoulders flicking up and down with sheer resentment for his ex-fiance.

Realising that she needed to calm Eddie's bubbling rage, Rachel too stood, placing a comforting hand on his forearm. It was something she had been reluctant to do, Rachel wasn't sure if her tenuous self control could handle it. But she loved Eddie, and cared for him just as much. She wanted to be there for him just like he was always there for her.

Almost instantly, Eddie came to a standstill at the contact. With Rachel's hand on his arm, he could feel the tension slowly leaking out of his body. It was a reminder that there was someone in front of him very much worth fighting for, a woman who he loved and who deserved his undivided attention. His fury filled expression melted away, and Rachel recognised this as their eyes met. Seemingly with that one look, all emotions and feelings had been conveyed without the use of words. They loved each other, first and foremost.

"Eddie, I completely understand how riled up you must be feeling right now. God knows, I'm furious with Melissa, I could swing for the selfish liar."

As Eddie allowed Rachel's words to fill his mind, rather than the pure anger he was feeling towards Melissa, he found himself focusing on something in particular which she had said. _I'm furious with Melissa. _If Rachel felt that strongly about the situation, about Melissa disregarding Eddie's love for her, then surely, _surely_, she felt the same way. Sparks of hope fired up within him, yet before Eddie could comment, he recognised Rachel to be speaking once more.

"But right now Eddie, I need to focus on Philip. I think we both do. He's built up a bond with you in recent months, I just think retaining that, will do him the world of good."

"Absolutely. What Phil needs right now, is for us to show him that we're not going anywhere."

"Thank you Eddie, I really do appreciate your support on that. I just think Philip still needs a male influence in his life right now."

He smiled warmly before they both simultaneously glanced down at where Rachel's hand still remained. Not once had her touch faltered, and the pair were seemingly only just noticing that. The acknowledgement had them both blushing furiously, in particular Rachel, who drew her hand away painstakingly slowly. The temptation of the gesture was catching up with the woman who made it.

"Well," she began, stepping away from him, "I've got a mound of paperwork to attend to so…"

"Rachel," Eddie pulled on her wrist slightly, hoping that she would let them have this conversation. He needed to divulge to her what his feelings really meant, and he had to hear it confirmed that she feels the same.

"Can we talk?" he asked, all of a sudden feeling rather unsure of himself.

Rachel gulped, knowing exactly what Eddie meant but not sure she was yet ready to face it and admit her own overpowering feelings.

"What about?" she responded, choosing to pretend that she wasn't completely in the know with where this conversation was heading.

"I think we both know what about," Eddie said lightly, hoping that the crooked smile he gave would ease any tension.

Rachel only nodded curtly, accepting that this discussion had to happen now, or it never would. Searching for some kind of courage deep within her, Rachel made her way over to the sofa once more, presuming that Eddie would be following in her wake.

He was of course, coming to sit next to her almost instantly. As brief silence evaded the room, Eddie realised that the ball was in his court. It was his move to make, his turn to speak. No matter how much he wished it wasn't. He was more nervous right now than he would ever care to admit to anyone.

"Bolton told me that you changed your mind… about resigning."

No matter how hard he had tried, Eddie couldn't begin this discussion by divulging his feelings. Thinking about how Rachel could react, it had put him on edge, he had to find some kind of bravery or reassurance before hand.

Rachel smiled at him, apparently glad that he hadn't jumped straight in at the deep end, "yes erm… it was just something he said, made me think twice."

Eddie reciprocated her warm expression before exhaling slightly, maybe preparing himself for the imminence of his next words.

"My reasons for breaking up with Melissa, what she told you, are true."

The ability to breath was snatched away from Rachel almost instantly. She had endured this conversation several times in her dreams, and yet the reality was far more surreal than any kind of fantasy. She did realise though, that Eddie hadn't yet said the words. And from the way he was tapping his fingers against his leg in a rhythmic beat, told Rachel that he was about to. She held her breath, and waited for those three words she had been longing to hear pretty much since the day she met him.

As Eddie's eyes met with hers, Rachel felt as if the whole world had stopped. Tunnel vision was in full swing, and Eddie was of pivotal focus.

"I do love you Rachel. Irrevocably, unconditionally."

She closed her eyes briefly, hoping to savour his words and this particular moment. Rachel recognised that she was yet to speak, yet to respond, but hearing Eddie's soft voice once more, this thought was taken away from her.

"I don't think I will ever be able to forgive myself, for revealing my feelings too soon on the first day of term. But even more so, for getting together with Melissa. I was just lonely Rachel, and she was there. I didn't love her, not really. It has always been you."

She opened her eyes now, blushing from both Eddie's words and the loving way with which he was currently staring at her. At that moment, Rachel knew that she couldn't deny him anything.

"Eddie… I… I love you too. I have done for a while now. And Melissa isn't the only one who lied. When… when you asked me, if I was alright with your relationship with her, I said I was okay with it. But I wasn't Eddie, far from it actually. I just thought that… well my chances with you were long gone. I wasn't willing to jeopardise your happiness with Melissa on the off chance that your feelings still remained."

"I know Rachel, I know," he hesitated for a moment, before stretching his arms out to her to bring her into an embrace, "I was never truly happy with Melissa, you were always at the forefront of my mind. We've wasted so much time, and I can only apologise for that. I want to make amends."

Rachel didn't resist, settling her head into Eddie's shirt and draping both hands around the backs of his shoulders. He would cherish the way with which she was responding to him, and his head seemed to automatically come to rest upon her own.

"I'm sorry Rachel. I'm so so sorry."

Eddie continued to whisper apologies into the depths of Rachel's hair, and acknowledged that she was accepting them from the way her grip tightened around his body. With paperwork long forgotten, it seemed that the pair would be remaining in this position for the foreseeable future.


	5. Forever the Dynamic Duo

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Chapter 5: Forever the Dynamic Duo

A short while later, Rachel and Eddie's newfound bliss was interrupted by the lunchtime bell. It was a reminder of their location, and their undeniable roles of head and deputy. But their happiness surrounding the admittance of their feelings wouldn't falter. Knowing that their conversation wasn't over, Eddie pulled back slightly, hoping to tell Rachel everything he'd been wanting to tell her since the day they met.

Not wanting to lose any moment of contact, Eddie reached out for Rachel's hands, intertwining his fingers with hers. He was delighted with the way she was brushing a thumb over the backs of his fingers tenderly. It seemed to highlight and emphasise their prior conversation, and the steps they had taken to reach this point. Running these thoughts over in his brain countless times, Eddie grasped the courage to proceed.

"The first day of term, at the pub. When you showed me your scar Rachel," Eddie watched as she flinched slightly, and he immediately felt guilty for bringing up one of her biggest insecurities. But it also reminded him that his upcoming words had been designed in his brain to alleviate any negative thoughts Rachel had towards her scar. He wanted her to know that to him, she was the most remarkable human in the world, and that no scar could possibly change that, "when you showed me it, I looked away. And I know you thought that it was a gesture of disgust… or hatred for the scar. But Rachel," he hooked a finger softly underneath her chin now, realigning her eyes with his. Eddie wanted Rachel to believe him when he said this, he longed for her to see the truth behind his expressions, "I need you to know that it was a look of anger at what Hordley had caused for you, and sorrow, for the inner turmoil that you must've been feeling. And my head began to swim with guilt, because… I should've been there for you, and I shouldn't have pushed you into admitting your feelings like that so soon."

For a moment, Rachel tilted her face into Eddie's hand which was now caressing her cheek. The feel of his skin against hers, paired with his current choice of words was something she would never tire of enduring.

"I understand now Eddie, why you looked away. Please don't feel guilty though. You wouldn't know this, but when you told me that I was special, and that nothing could change that… I… I truly allowed myself to think that you believed that. That it was how you saw me. And whenever I was perhaps having an off day in following weeks, I would think back to that conversation, and how much those words meant to me. So no Eddie, don't apologise. It's me who should be sorry, turning you away that night, is one of my biggest regrets."

"It's true you know. You are special, and nothing could ever change that. That is what I believe, how I see you. And Rach, I long to make you think that about yourself one day. I'll try everyday for the rest of our lives if you'll let me."

It was impossible to hold back the tear which rolled down Rachel's cheek. Eddie's words were overwhelming. The suggestion that they would be spending the rest of their lives together had Rachel in awe of this amazing man. She adored him, and would quite happily spend the rest of their days together.

"That has to be one of your better ideas," Rachel smiled now, and even more joy seemed to cascade through her body, when Eddie's light fingertips brushed away the tears lingering on her cheeks.

She allowed her eyes to shut briefly as Eddie's hands continued to trace a recurring pattern on her cheeks. It sent a thought provoking shiver down Rachel's spine, and she was re-acquainted with the fact that this wasn't just one of her dreams, this was reality. Eddie was truly directly opposite her, touching her skin with his own hands. It was a phenomenon that Rachel felt almost overwhelmed by, but most certainly welcomed it.

"You're beautiful Rachel."

And there they were, the words which told Rachel that actuality is always far more breathtaking than a fantasy.

Rachel savoured the contact and his utterances. She was hard pressed to release a gasp as Eddie pushed back a strand of hair which had been drooping down the side of her face. The gesture was strikingly similar to that one he made the first day of term. Except this time, Rachel had been willing to be truthful about her feelings, she had been ready. She guessed that the gesture and Eddie's comments had been the best thing that anyone had ever said or done for her. He made her feel things which Rachel had never dreamt she would feel.

"Thank you for coming back to me Eddie, and for not giving up," she spoke sincerely, opening her eyes now.

"As if I ever could."

Eddie gently took his hand away now, allowing it to graze the length of her arm as he did so.

"Will you let me take you out tonight?" He asked, and despite his external confidence, a nervous edge to his demeanour was evident. Acknowledging this, Rachel felt a surge of adoration - admittedly, not the first one since this conversation had commenced. It was clear how much every second of this meant to Eddie, and Rachel was glad to acknowledge that it was just as significant for her. This man made her feel well and truly alive.

"Honestly Eddie, I'd love to. But I just feel...that Philip needs me this evening, and I'd want to be there for him if he wants to talk."

Rachel was pleased to see there were no hallmarks of disappointment in Eddie's features, only understanding and determination.

"Well how about you let me cook for you? I'll come round to yours. Table service, of course," Eddie joked, grinning with a glint of light in his eye.

"You can cook?" Rachel questioned, his infectious smile now spreading to her own lips.

All the while, she was attempting to push down the feelings that occurred when conjuring up an image of Eddie pottering around in her kitchen. She failed to suppress them, of course. Rachel would admit that a slight trepidation had entered her stomach when thinking about Philip's possible reactions to having the man who was very nearly his stepfather round for tea. But then, she remembered her nephew's presence during her earlier conversation with Melissa. Philip had been witness to everything that his mum had revealed, and Rachel had experienced his views upon that first hand. So having seen the reassurance and support that the boy gave her earlier, Rachel didn't see a problem with Eddie's thoughtful plans for this evening going ahead.

"How about I let you be the judge of that?" He responded in jest, delighting in the way Rachel tipped her head back and emanated a slight giggle. It had to be the best thing he had heard all day, aside from her saying '_I love you too.' _

"Shall we go and get a sandwich from the canteen?" She questioned upon bringing her head back level with his, "I reckon the worst of the crowds will be gone by now."

Eddie smiled at this, completely relating to how hectic the canteen could be at the height of lunch hour. But the feelings behind his smile were for another reason entirely. Before getting together with Melissa, Eddie and Rachel had spent virtually every lunchtime together. Those were the best of times, and he hated how many days they had missed out on during his relationship with Melissa. So now, the idea of returning to their normal ways, was something which brought him a great deal of happiness.

"Sounds like a plan."

As they both made their way down to the lunch hall, Rachel caught a glance of them in a nearby window. She was glad that they were back together as a team now. But she guessed that the dynamic duo that they would forever be, never really disappeared at all.

Reaching the corridor leading up to the canteen, Rachel caught a glance of Philip, who looked as if he was having a rather agitated conversation with Bolton Smilie. Eddie caught on to her way of thinking, speeding up his pace simultaneously to when she did.

By the time they reached the teenagers, it was too late. Rachel had no idea what had been said to Philip, but before she knew it, her nephew swung for the taller boy, fist colliding with his cheekbone. Bolton made a grab for his shirt, yet Rachel and Eddie were running now, and Eddie pulled Bolton away before he was given the chance to retaliate.

"What the hell do you think you're playing at?!" Eddie bellowed, whilst Rachel tried to get a frustrated Philip under control.

She was considering how completely out of character this was for him, and was struggling to get her head around it. But Rachel had to rise above the consequences or reasons behind her nephew's unusual behaviour, and focus on getting this situation resolved. For now, it was her duty to play headmistress rather than auntie.

"Get to my office now, the both of you!"

The two boys obeyed, following in front of head and deputy. Rachel stole a glance at Eddie, their expressions equally exasperated.

"Looks like we won't be having a quiet lunch and a sandwich after all," Rachel commented, leaving Eddie smiling slightly despite the circumstances. It was just a slight reminder for him that the past few hours or so had been real, and that this was truly happening. Rachel loved him, and she was aware of his love for her. Whatever the problem with Philip and Bolton, they would tackle it together. The dynamic duo.


	6. Look on the Bright Side

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Chapter 6: Look On the Bright Side

The two teenagers stood adjacent to one another, in front of Rachel's desk. Eddie noted that for Bolton, once upon a time this had been a regular occurence. And yet in recent months, he had turned himself around thanks to Rachel's input. As for Philip, this was entirely out of his natural character and tendencies. The boy had his moments, undoubtedly, but he had never resorted to violence in the past. So surely, something significant and meaningful had happened here to give rise to this reaction from Philip.

Similar thoughts were stirring around in Rachel's brain, during the brief silence as she gathered her choice of words. She thought back to the day of Philip's arrival, and how cruelly Bolton and Paul had treated him at the time. Rachel had been furious with Bolton, having seen him as one of her greatest achievements. After the conversation which had undergone following on from his actions, Rachel doubted that he would react in this way again, in particular towards Philip. Rachel was no fool though, she had seen how Philip punched Bolton first. But as already acknowledged, violence wasn't one of her nephew's mannerisms. He must have been provoked substantially beforehand.

"Right," Rachel began, capturing the attention of the two students, "I have to say boys, I am incredibly disappointed in the both of you. Bolton, I thought we'd turned a corner with all this…"

"But miss, he punched me first man!"

"And I'm well aware of that Bolton. But do not interrupt me when I am talking to you."

The teen looked mildly apologetic, and Rachel took this as her opportunity to continue.

"... what I was saying Bolton, is that this is the old you, provoking your peers, searching for fights. Why do it?"

He glanced down, as if considering his actions. Rachel could only hope that she was getting through to him once more.

"And as for you Philip, this behaviour is a world away from your character. You should know that violence is not tolerated in this school."

Rachel and Eddie witnessed a crimson blush flash across Philip's face, as if he was suddenly feeling rather awkward and ashamed by his recent actions. Rachel had hoped that her opening words would encourage her pupils to open up about what had gone on, but there was no such look.

"Miss Mason's right, you should both know that," Eddie added, hoping that he could try his hand at resolving this situation and help Rachel in the process, "now are you going to tell us what has gone on here."

Again; silence. Bolton tilting his feet, constantly staring down at them, Philip twiddling his thumbs, longing for this situation to just disintegrate.

"Bolton," Rachel spoke, rather concerned with the lack of response she was getting from both boys at this point, "let's start with you. What was said to generate that reaction from Philip, hm?"

"Look I was being an idiot, Paul and the lads were egging us on innit."

"I don't doubt that Bolton, but you still haven't told us what was said."

"I just said some daft crap about his mum and that."

Rachel sighed deeply as Philip averted his gaze from all possible eye contact. She should have seen this coming, her nephew was bound to be taunted after the entrance his mum had made to his English class earlier. Rachel knew that she now needed to get to the bottom of the specific things that Bolton had aggravated Philip with. Now aware that the general topic was Melissa, Rachel didn't want Philip to have to endure listening to those comments again.

"Mr Lawson," she spoke, turning to Eddie, "can you take Philip down to the cooler. I would just like to have a private word with Bolton, and then I'll be with you."

Eddie nodded before taking Philip's lead out of the office. Rachel gestured for Bolton to sit down opposite her, whilst taking a seat herself. By all means, she guessed that this could be a fairly lengthy conversation, it just depended on the exact comments which Bolton had taunted Philip with. Rachel had to be sure that an event like this wouldn't happen again, her nephew had already been severely hurt by recent events as it were.

"Bolton, I know I've already said this, but I thought you were past all this macho rubbish."

"Anno miss. An' I am sorry."

"Okay, well how about you start by telling me the truth. Perhaps then we can start making some amends."

"Right well, the thing is, I think Phil was tryna be funny, making random comments and that. And anno I shouldn't, but I just started taking the piss."

Rachel tilted her head slightly, appreciating that Bolton was finally opening up but not necessarily liking where this conversation was going.

"It started out as a joke really, then I guess I took it too far."

"Which was when you started commenting on Philip's mum?"

Bolton nodded, "I didn't mean it though innit… not really."

"Bolton, just tell me. We need to get to the bottom of this situation."

He sighed, knowing that there was no way out of this one, "I said… that no wonder he's such a freak, if that's what his mum's like. And then, I said that he wouldn't be allowed to get away with owt in maths now that Lawson's not sleeping with his mum."

For Rachel, this was an extremely difficult position to be thrown into. Currently, she was attempting to brush aside her own feelings so that she could concentrate on the facts here. But it was seemingly difficult when, part of what Bolton was saying related to the reasons for her heartache in recent months. It was just a painful reminder of everything that had occurred. Rachel mentally shook herself, as a way of packing up her spiralling emotions. She had to focus on Bolton and Philip here, as well as the best course of action forward. Be a headteacher rather than an aunt or Melissa's sister.

"You do realise Bolton, that Philip didn't ask for any of what happened today? He didn't want his mum to storm into his English lesson, revealing his private life for the whole class to gawk at. So I'm extremely disappointed with you Bolton, for intervening with something which is frankly, none of your business."

"Yes miss… sorry miss."

"I don't think it's me you need to be saying sorry to Bolton, you owe Philip a grovelling apology. And I do understand, that he retaliated with violence, so he will be punished accordingly. As for you, you two after school detentions, and you'll be spending the rest of today in the cooler. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," Bolton responded, hanging his head slightly lower in shame. It appeared that Rachel had gotten through to him once more. Just when she thought she had Bolton cracked, he goes and does something like this.

Rachel nodded before gesturing for Bolton to follow her to the cooler. This would be an interesting conversation between the two boys, Rachel just hoped that Bolton would keep up his side of the bargain and rightfully apologise.

….

Eddie hadn't expected much form of conversation from Philip. But when silence seemed to control the boy, it concerned him. Several times Eddie attempted to approach the subject with him, and Philip just brushed his questions off with grunts and nods of the head. Perhaps once Rachel arrived the teen would open up; Eddie hoped so, it seemed like the only way forward at the moment. He had said that Rachel was into black magic before, so he guessed she would be needing it today once more.

Once Eddie had turned his mind to Rachel, his thoughts couldn't seem to avert back to an alternative. He couldn't get the way she has responded to his feelings out of his head. She loved him too, and finally, he was able to show just how far head over heels he was for her. All of Eddie's attention was focused on Rachel, and despite current occurrences with Philip and Bolton, he felt that he couldn't be happier.

When Eddie looked up, he saw the woman herself walking down the corridor with Bolton, towards the cooler. He was of course thinking about Philip and Bolton, and how all of this was going to play out. But Eddie couldn't help but get distracted by the way Rachel's hair was currently bouncing up and down with every step she took. He longed to run his hands through and feel the softness against his skin. Before Eddie allowed his thoughts to go any further though, he managed to compose himself. Partly because Rachel was now opening the door and entering, but mainly because Eddie realised that this wasn't the place to get lost in such thoughts.

The slight smile Rachel offered him as her and Bolton entered, didn't exactly lend itself to assist with pushing back Eddie's musings.

She stepped back as Bolton made his way over to Philip, angling her body so that she could speak to him discreetly.

"Any luck with Philip?"

"None," he responded, desperately trying to not get distracted by how close she currently was to him. Or the way her warm breath seemed to be caressing his cheek.

Rachel raised her eyebrows slightly, presumably wondering where on earth they would go from here with Philip if he hadn't been willing to open up yet.

For now though, she turned, hoping that Bolton was going to prove himself yet again and show remorse to her nephew. From the way Rachel's gaze was fixed on Bolton, Eddie guessed that her conversation had gone better than his. The taller teenager's facial expressions told all; Bolton looked as if he was truly thinking through the consequences of his actions. Realistically, Eddie knew all along that Rachel would be able to get through to the boy once more.

"Look man," Bolton began as he approached Philip, "I'm sorry yeh? What I said was daft, I didn't mean it innit."

For the first time since entering the cooler, Eddie saw a new emotion form in Philip's features. Evidently, he was extremely surprised that Bolton had just presented him with such a genuine apology. Eddie and Rachel just had to trust that Bolton wouldn't use any of this against Philip in the future. For Rachel in particular, she guessed that Bolton had learnt his lesson. This was very telling from the way his whole demeanour had changed after their earlier conversation. The teen was truly regret and guilt-ridden: his recent actions weren't something he would be repeating again.

As Philip looked up, he nodded; his way of telling Bolton that he accepted his apology. Perhaps the pair wouldn't be the best of friends, but Bolton wouldn't be singling out Philip for all the wrong reasons.

"Thank you Bolton," Rachel said as she approached the two boys, genuinely pleased and proud with the way that Bolton had handled this situation since acknowledging that his comments were out of order.

"Philip," she began, turning to her nephew, "can you come with us please?"

It wasn't a request, and even though it was put across in that manner, Philip knew that. For Eddie, the word 'us' used in Rachel's sentence didn't go unnoticed. She wanted his help with this one, and Eddie was more than willing to do just that. It was mainly for Rachel's benefit, but he felt as if he owed it to Philip too. Eddie still couldn't get the feeling of being partially responsible out of his mind.

The boy nodded, standing to follow his aunt and maths teacher out of the room, leaving Bolton with the teacher on duty of the cooler. The two adults shared an exasperated expression as they approached Rachel's office. Neither of them were sure how this talk with Philip was going to play out. Right now, his feelings seemed to be mysterious and elusive.

Almost automatically, Philip took a seat on one of the sofas in the corner of Rachel's office. Rachel and Eddie joined him, noting the way he shifted uncomfortably in his seat and twiddled his thumbs. He had always tended to bottle up his feelings, something which Rachel could relate to entirely. But she could also acknowledge how amazing it felt to find that one person who you felt as if you could open up anything and everything to. In her case, that was Eddie. She just hoped that Philip would at least let her in a tiny bit.

Before playing aunt though, Rachel couldn't let the fact that Philip was her nephew affect the way she dealt with his violence.

"Philip, you know that I can't treat you any differently just because you're family. So I'm afraid for your actions towards Bolton, you're going to have to spend a day in the cooler tomorrow. Now it would be more than that, but because he provoked you, I can understand why you were riled."

Philip nodded, "I just snapped. I'd had enough, of him and the other lads taking the piss."

Rachel shared a worried glance with Eddie, clearly these comments were a regular occurrence, even before Melissa had made her entrance.

"So, are you saying this sort of stuff normally happens?" Eddie asked, cottoning on to Rachel's way of thinking.

Philip looked hesitant, perhaps as if something personal to him had been revealed, "erm...sometimes… I mean no, not really."

The way with which Philip stumbled over his words captured Rachel and Eddie's concern. But it was clear the teen wasn't willing to reveal this particular aspect of his school life. Rachel wasn't going to push him, she just hoped that with time, he would naturally begin to talk about it.

"Philip, I know how awful this must be for you," Rachel began, "what with your mum leaving. But I need you to know, that Eddie and I, we aren't going anywhere. Okay?"

"Thanks Rach, and Eddie."

The two adults smiled in response. Rachel hoped that by giving Philip constant reassurance, he would eventually feel able to divulge all with what went on at school.

"Now, would you like to just sit in here for the rest of the afternoon? I doubt you'd rather sit in the cooler with Bolton."

Phil just smiled and nodded, changing his position so that he was now sitting at the nearby circular table.

Deciding to leave him be for a few moments, Rachel got up with Eddie to walk out of the office.

Once the door was closed, Eddie turned to face her, watching as she emanated a sigh. The tension was evident in her features and with the way she held herself.

"Look on the bright side," Eddie said, smiling as he gently caught hold of her elbow, "you have my amazing cooking skills to look forward to this evening."

Rachel leant forwards, so that she was slightly closer to him and laughed, feeling genuinely happier and more relaxed upon thinking about the evening ahead.


	7. The Most Perfect Company

_Thank you for the reviews. _

_Hope you enjoy ... :) x_

Chapter 7: The Most Perfect Company

It had been expected for Rachel that the afternoon would drag by, what with Eddie's plans for the evening at the forefront of her mind. But because of Philip's presence in her office, Rachel had to at least _look_ like she was managing to get some of her paperwork done. So this only heightened the difficulty. Squinting as she tried to focus on a form about departmental budgets, Rachel found that the words had just turned to mush.

Giving up, she glanced up at the clock for what felt like the tenth time that hour. Rachel was glad to see that only fifteen minutes remained of this seemingly never ending day. Rachel couldn't stop thinking about what Eddie might be planning on cooking for her, or what their night together might involve. She wouldn't want to rush things, it still seemed to unsettle Rachel that a mere 4 hours ago, Eddie was technically still engaged to her sister. Sighing, she pushed that musing to the back of her mind and focused on more joyous trails of thought.

Rachel decided that tonight was just a perfect opportunity for her and Eddie to explore what a relationship with one another could bring. It was something which Rachel had been longing to do for a while now, and thinking back upon Eddie's earlier choice of words, she reckoned that he had envisaged similar scenarios.

Catching a slight movement from Philip out of the corner of her eye, it occurred to Rachel that she hadn't yet broached the subject of Eddie's company with the boy. Something which had to be done.

"Philip?" she said, slightly warily. Rachel wasn't sure how Philip was going to react. She reckoned that it would either go terribly or perfectly - no in between.

The boy took one of his earphones out, tilting his head slightly, "yeh?"

"Well, tonight - Eddie's offered to come round and cook. I just wanted to check, if you know, if you're alright with that?"

As Rachel spoke, a subtle yet somewhat certain grin spread across Philip's lips. It seemed to fill Rachel with a whole lot of confidence - perhaps this conversation was going to go in her favour.

"As long as he doesn't give us food poisoning," Philip joked, emanating a chuckle at this point.

With that, every single ounce of tension seemed to leak out of Rachel's body. Philip could have easily been difficult about this situation, she would have understood it if he found the concept odd.

Rachel returned her nephew's chuckle before responding, unable to hide the considerable amount of joy in her features.

"Well, I asked him if he could actually cook, and he said that I'll have to be the judge of that. So it could go either way really," Rachel spoke, continuing Philip's humour.

Philip laughed and allowed a comfortable silence to settle for a few moments. He could see that his aunt's happiness still remained, and the smile which lingered on her lips had him feeling glad that she could feel this way despite his mother's earlier revelations.

"Rach," he said, capturing her attention once more, "really though, I am okay with it. I'm happy for Eddie to come round."

"Thank you Philip. I really do appreciate that."

The two family members shared a smile, and with a case of perfect timing; Eddie entered the office.

It was a pleasant surprise for Rachel, she hadn't been expecting to see Eddie again until later that evening, when he arrived at her house. The plan was for him to buy the ingredients for the meal he planned on making and get to Rachel's for about seven. She had offered to go with him to the supermarket, but Eddie had brushed off her offers, explaining how he wanted it to be a surprise. In any other case, Eddie knew that he would have jumped at the chance to spend some more time with Rachel. All in all though, they would be spending a much more considerable amount of time with one another for the rest of their lives - if Eddie had anything to do with it.

He seemed to hover in the doorway slightly, perhaps unsure of what to say or how to act with Philip's presence. Rachel and the teenager's previous conversation would be completely new knowledge to Eddie. Trying to reassure him in the form of an expression, Rachel smiled encouragingly. She hoped that Eddie would glean enough from her joyful features to know that Phillip approved.

The boy himself was smiling slightly too, and as Eddie glanced at him, Rachel guessed that his demeanour was the final consolation that he so very required. If at all possible, Rachel fell in love with Eddie even more as a result of how cautious he was currently being. It just showed how loving and caring he truly was. Eddie had a tendency to put others needs (particularly Rachel's) before his own, and she absolutely adored him for it.

"Just checking we're still on for tonight?" Eddie asked in a light manner, approaching Rachel's desk to be as close to her as possible.

"Of course," she beamed in response, "I was just telling Philip here how I really don't know what to expect with your culinary skills."

By this point, Philip himself had readjusted his headphones; feeling that he was somewhat intruding on what should be a private moment. As Philip tried to re focus his attention on French homework, he realised just how happy he was for his aunt. When Eddie had been with his mum, Philip couldn't see the spark and the genuine love which was now so very visible between the two adults in his company. He was glad that they have each other.

"I think you'll be pleasantly surprised Mason, just saying," Eddie responded, humorous facial expressions and mannerisms coming into play.

"I'll believe it when I see it Lawson."

Eddie huffed, "the cheek!"

Flashing him a playful look as he turned, Rachel allowed herself to get truly excited for this evening, now that it was so close. And as Eddie said his goodbyes, Rachel thanked her lucky stars for whatever force had allowed all of this to happen.

….

After heading to pick up Philip's essentials from Melissa's house, it was fast approaching seven o'clock. Upon realising that they would have to stop by and pick up some clothes etc for Philip, Rachel had been worried that Melissa would still be there. Luckily, she was long gone, leaving the house rather empty. Rachel also noted that the house wasn't home to many of Eddie's belongings, and she guessed that he had already been here on the way to the supermarket from work.

Currently, she was standing in her own bedroom failing to decide what to wear for her evening with Eddie. What was this? A date? Rachel sighed, cursing herself for being such an over thinker. Glancing at the clock, it was ten to 7, so she would have to make her mind up and fast. Deciding to go with a slightly more casual attire, Rachel chucked on some denim jeans and an emerald green jumper. Reapplying her lip gloss, she prided herself for getting dressed in under five minutes.

It was just as well, because as Rachel descended the stairs, the familiar noise of her doorbell was heard.

She checked her appearance in the hall mirror before taking a breath and approaching the door to open it. And there on Rachel's doorstep, stood the somewhat smouldering form of Eddie Lawson. All of a sudden she felt slightly nervous.

"Hi," Eddie smiled lightly, all the while taking in the beautiful sight of the woman before his eyes.

Rachel blushed as his gaze swept over her, breath catching in her throat as she struggled to reciprocate his greeting.

"Hey, you'd better come in," she beamed warmly, stepping aside to let Eddie into her hallway.

Only as they came face to face did Rachel realise that Eddie was holding an elegant bunch of flowers. But the thing was, they weren't just any old flowers. They were lilies - a favourite of Rachel's. And then she remembered a conversation that she shared with Eddie not long after meeting him, to do with flowers and which ones she preferred. Her heart soared thinking that Eddie had remembered such a minor detail from a significant amount of time ago.

Rachel took a step closer to him, touching one of the lilies softly and bringing her other hand to rest of Eddie's forearm.

"Oh Eddie, thank you," she commented sincerely as their gazes met once more.

He simply smiled in response, accompanied with a look which Rachel was beginning to realise he kept for her eyes only. As Eddie leant forwards to place a kiss on the side of her cheek, Rachel found that she didn't feel nervous anymore. This was Eddie, someone who was utterly easy for her to get along with. How amazing it felt to just be in his company had been one of the reasons why Rachel had fallen for him in the first place; that certainly wasn't going to alter in any way now.

Remembering that Eddie was cooking for her, Rachel grinned; looking forward to seeing his cooking skills first hand.

"You'll be needing the kitchen then," Rachel spoke, amused expression still evident as she took the bunch of flowers from Eddie's hands.

"Don't worry," Eddie laughed whilst following Rachel up the hallway, "I'll try not to burn your house down."

"You'd better not Lawson, or you'll never step foot in here again."

They entered the kitchen and his mouth widened upon acknowledging her words. Rachel laughed at Eddie's antics, showing him in her expression that those utterances were far from the truth. If Rachel had anything to do with it, she would be more than happy to spend the rest of her days with this wonderful man. She found herself hoping with all her heart that he felt the same.

Eddie began to unpack the ingredients, and Rachel was alerted to a slightly apprehensive looking Philip in the doorway.

"Is everything okay Philip?" Rachel queried; the boy now capturing Eddie's attention too.

"Would it be alright if I go out for a bit… with some friends?"

Rachel shared a glance with Eddie, both wondering why Philip seemed so nervous to ask such a simple and reasonable thing.

"Well I don't see why not. How come you were so uncertain to ask me that?"

Rachel didn't want to nag the poor boy, he had certainly been through enough in the past twelve hours. He deserved to be cut some slack. Equally though, she would have only sat and worried about him had she not asked about something which was so obviously bothering him.

"Well the thing is, it's erm... Bolton and Paul who've asked."

Rachel now felt rather wary about Philip's requests, and Eddie could completely understand her apprehension. After all, this was a boy who several hours ago, was taunting Philip with anything that sprang to mind.

"Are you sure that's a good idea lad?" Eddie asked lightly, hoping that Philip's answer would be truthful. But the boy showed no signs of answering, he only tore his gaze away from the two adults and began to focus his attention on the floorboards.

"Philip love, we're only asking because of what happened today. You know, how genuine really is Bolton's invitation?"

Rachel's nephew looked up now, perhaps understanding the reasons behind her questioning.

"We spoke some more, after the cooler. He said sorry again, so to be fair I do think he meant it."

Yet again Rachel glanced at Eddie; who was witness to the conflicted emotions behind her eyes. He guessed that she would be thinking of her nephew first and foremost, but that she would be pondering about how much she had turned Bolton around in the past year or so. Would he really go as far to betray her trust once more after their earlier conversation? Rachel longed for Philip to feel comfortable at Waterloo Road, and in recent weeks, he clearly hadn't been. So looking at the benefits if Bolton truly was sincere, Rachel reckoned that it was worth the risk if Philip was going to be happier within himself.

"Okay," Rachel said as the boy grinned and turned to make a move, "but Philip?" she waited until he turned around to face her, "if there are any problems, please text me."

"Yes miss," Philip joked as he walked away.

Rachel couldn't deny that it was wonderful to see Philip feeling slightly more upbeat after the day's events. She just had to trust her instincts with Bolton's intentions. Rachel truly did believe that at heart, Bolton was a kind and genuine person.

"He'll be alright you know," Eddie said, coming up to stand beside Rachel. She turned to face him, with his facial expression instantly calming and reassuring her, "I don't think Bolton would risk falling under your wrath again."

Eddie grinned now, and his light-hearted tone had the desired effect when Rachel span around fully to chuckle and swat him gently on the arm.

As they lingered their eyes on one another for a little bit longer than perhaps necessary, both adults were thinking about how Philip may have actually done them a favour this evening. It was an undeniable opportunity to spend some time in one another's company after earlier revelations. Maybe they wouldn't admit it out loud, but Rachel and Eddie were delighted to have each other's undivided attention.


	8. Countless Reasons Why I Love You

_Thank you for the reviews. _

_Hope you enjoy this chapter... this one and the one after this are pretty much solely Reddie based :) x_

Chapter 8: Countless Reasons Why I Love You

"Are you going to tell me what you're cooking then?"

Rachel was sitting at the breakfast bar, watching Eddie prepare some chicken at her worktop. He currently had his back to her, and she couldn't seem to take her eyes off him. The T-shirt he had on defined more of his build than Rachel was used to with Eddie's work attire. She found herself utterly appreciating the navy blue polo neck he had chosen to wear. In fact, he could probably feel her eyes on him, yet Rachel found that she didn't mind much. Upon hearing her voice, Eddie turned around swiftly, meeting her eyes in an instant. Now he was the one who couldn't take his eyes off her. Maybe cooking whilst Rachel was in the room wouldn't prove to be the best idea he's ever had.

"How about you guess," Eddie laughed, unable to suppress a smug grin.

Rachel stood now, making her way over to the fridge to fill up her glass with wine as she pondered on what Eddie could be making with the few ingredients that she'd spied.

Walking back to her chair, Rachel couldn't resist drawing a hand across Eddie's back as she brushed past him. This of course caused Eddie to turn his attention away from the meat once more; to look at Rachel with a loving expression on his face. No, his tenuous self control definitely couldn't take Rachel being in the room whilst he was attempting to cook.

Almost reading his mind, Rachel chuckled at Eddie's antics. She too realised that he was probably never going to get the food cooked whilst in her presence. Maybe if she remained, his earlier joke about setting her kitchen on fire would become true.

Placing a hand on Eddie's upper arm, Rachel gave it a light squeeze, "I'll be in the living room, just shout me through when it's ready."

Shaking his head in a joking manner, Eddie gathered that Rachel knew exactly what she was doing, and was well aware of how these subtle but effective touches would be impacting him. As well as these enticing thoughts though, this was one of many times where Eddie was reminded that Rachel was just as good at reading his mind as he was hers. As he gave her one last smile,Eddie maintained his gaze upon her until she was no longer in view, before turning his attention back to the ingredients. Try as he might, he couldn't seem to tear his thoughts away from the woman sitting in the room adjacent. Considering how long his musings had remained on Rachel for, Eddie reckoned that he should be used to it, perhaps even be able to control it. Seemingly though, as he spent more and more time with Rachel, Eddie found it less and less easy to think about anything except her.

After much debate with himself at the supermarket, Eddie had decided to make Rachel one of his favourite chicken curries. He had wondered whether she would mind if it was a little bit spicy, but then remembered a conversation they had about her favourite Indian restaurant in town. As with the flowers, Eddie hoped that it was a perfect opportunity to show Rachel just how much he cares about the little things. To his delight, from the smile on her face earlier as she was putting the lilies in a vase, his efforts had paid off.

A little while later, Eddie began to plate up the rice and the sauce; finding that he was quite pleased with how the meals had turned out. Making a move towards the door, he was about to call Rachel through when he heard her light footsteps coming up the hallway. Seemingly, Eddie was unable to stop the grin which spread across his face. Perhaps he had been on her mind just as much as she had been on his for the past 30 minutes.

"This smells very nice," Rachel said as she entered the room, instantly making her way towards Eddie.

Eddie couldn't refrain from touching her any longer, and delighted in the way a subtle shiver passed through Rachel's body as he placed a hand on her back and guided her over to the table.

"I think I've managed not to break anything."

Rachel chuckled at Eddie's comments as he pulled a chair out for her. She couldn't help but blush, Rachel couldn't remember the last time someone had been this caring and thoughtful for her. And she was glad that now, that person was Eddie. It still felt surreal though, and Rachel felt fairly overwhelmed after realising that this time yesterday, she was in her own company cooking tea for herself. Twenty-four hours ago Rachel would have not even contemplated that a scenario like this would take place. Allowing her eyes to sweep across the table, Eddie had set it along with candles, and had placed one of the lilies in a cup with some water. Something which Rachel found warmed her heart. This truly meant the world to him, just like it meant everything to her. They both wanted to make this work with equal amounts.

"Voilà," he joked as he placed the plates down.

"Thank you," Rachel responded, giving his hand a gentle squeeze to accentuate her sincerity.

His seat was taken opposite her and Rachel glanced at him once more before rather reluctantly turning her attention away to the food.

She took a mouthful of the rice and sauce, and it was delicious, she didn't need to pretend in any way. It made Rachel feel quite gleeful that she had learnt something more about Eddie today. The fact that he could cook just made him even more attractive for her, and she mentally added it to the list of countless reasons why she loves him.

Looking up ready to portray just how much she was enjoying the meal, Rachel found that Eddie had barely started eating his and was currently gazing over his glass at her whilst he took a sip. The way Rachel blushed a brilliant red now seemed somewhat familiar when in Eddie's presence. One glance from him alone had that effect, never mind the way he was avidly admiring her across the table.

Rachel quirked an eyebrow, attempting and failing to regulate her heart rate once more, "what?"

Eddie laughed almost satisfyingly, knowing exactly what kind of way Rachel was currently feeling, because it was likely that her emotions mirrored his own.

"Just wanted to see your reaction...to my cooking. I said I'd let you be the judge."

Rachel giggled with a beautiful vibrancy that Eddie well and truly adored. The way a light flush of pink lingered on her cheeks didn't go unnoticed as he looked over her features.

"Honestly Eddie, it is delicious."

He smiled warmly and leant forwards slightly, seemingly magnetised towards Rachel's presence.

"I'm glad you like it," he paused for a moment before lowering his tone, "maybe I wasn't just looking out for your reaction," Eddie glanced down, suddenly shy until he heard Rachel's voice.

"Oh, really? Have I got pen on my face or something."

It was Eddie's turn to chuckle now, unsure if Rachel was being genuinely serious or if she was perhaps playing along with his string of humour.

For Rachel, her heart was beating rapidly, and she was surprised that Eddie couldn't hear it himself. She was awaiting his response, wondering what else could possibly test her self control today.

"No… apparently, I just can't take my eyes off you. You look lovely."

"Charmer."

Another countless reason why she loves him.

They finished their meals in a similar fashion, exchanging brief conversation, but otherwise switching their glances between one another and their plates. As Rachel filled their wine glasses up once the food had been eaten, Eddie knew that this wasn't the end of the evening. Something which he was overjoyed about. Rachel wanted to spend as much time in his company as he did in hers.

Standing, Rachel took the bottle of wine along with her glass in her hands and looked at Eddie as he too stood.

"Shall we go and sit in the living room?"

"I'd love to," was Eddie's response as he followed her out of the kitchen.

The idea of sitting with Rachel in a slightly more informal setting was enticing him. Eddie almost couldn't wait to see what it would hold. Whatever the outcome, he knew that he would forever be content with Rachel by his side.


	9. Reassurance in its Best Form

_Thank you all for the reviews. You're getting this chapter earlier than expected as I'm off out today, so probably won't get another chance to post it at a reasonable time :) _

_Please enjoy x_

Chapter 9: Reassurance In Its Best Form

An hour or so later, Eddie remained on Rachel's sofa. She was currently tucked into his side with her head resting on his chest. His arm was wrapped securely around Rachel's waist and to Eddie, it truly felt like this had forever been their circumstances. Maybe not, but this was how it had always meant to be, and would forever be. Sounds from the television were audible, yet Eddie and Rachel were paying little attention. They were simply acquainting themselves with the feel of one another, and how amazing it was to just be this close. Something which both parties had been dreaming of for a significant amount of time.

Eddie was wondering if tonight would be the right time to kiss Rachel. He wanted to more than anything, it was something that was inevitably swimming around in his mind after spending a whole evening with her. The gestures that Rachel had given off suggested that her thoughts were taking a similar approach, but Eddie didn't want to risk what they had just evoked by pushing her too far. He knew Rachel, inside and out; so right now, Eddie gathered that her qualms and uncertainties surrounding their newly revealed love would be prominent. Under any other circumstances, both he and Rachel wouldn't be second guessing taking that next step. And for what felt like the millionth time that day, Eddie berated himself for his recent actions. He was a fool. Had Eddie not gotten together with Melissa, he and Rachel would have most likely reached this stage a significant amount of time ago. Upon realising that it was impossible to alter the past, Eddie reiterated his pact to make up for everything with the future days spent together. If Rachel would allow it, he would spend every day of the rest of their lives making up for the undoubtable pain he had put her through.

It wasn't only his own stupidity that Eddie blamed for this delay in progressing their feelings. He had an immeasurable amount of anger towards Stuart Hordley, and the fire. That morning, Eddie had been terribly nervous upon asking Rachel to go for a drink. But he had meant it, he wanted to take her out to celebrate. Although he believed that they both knew the meaning behind his offer ran far deeper than that. If Eddie had it his way, on the last day of term had the fire not happened, he would have invited Rachel back to his after the pub. To talk even more and to perhaps have another drink. With the light summer nights, they could have sat outside in his garden and laughed and joked to their heart's content. As the sun had been setting, that's when he would have told Rachel. Everything about his feelings would have been revealed, every precious inch. Eddie's love for her was substantially irrevocable, as it had been that evening. If only that had been the outcome. Rachel would still be in his arms now, but under entirely different and more comfortable circumstances. He was an idiot. And he would never hate a man as much as Stuart Hordley.

A hand travelling across his chest readjusted Eddie to his surroundings, and he couldn't help but smile. Rachel's body was practically moulded to his own, somewhere he had longed for her to be practically ever since the day they met. He was fast realising that you only ever get one love like this in your life, and he intended to hold onto it.

Sitting up slightly so that eye contact could be made, Rachel was slightly reluctant to pose this next question, but knew it had to be asked. She wanted to progress in this relationship with Eddie more than anything, and felt that this conversation had to be had before she could wholeheartedly do so.

"Does this feel right to you Eddie?"

He continued to trace random patterns on Rachel's side as he allowed this question to wash over him. Eddie knew that this conversation was imminent, it was still extremely soon after his relationship with Melissa. The thought remained to leave Eddie yet again feeling extremely guilty and foolish. It would forever be one of the biggest mistakes of his life. Having been expecting this though, Eddie felt fairly prepared to answer and reassure any of Rachel's quarms. In recent months he had been a coward and shied away from his feelings, something which in Eddie's mind, had been eradicated the moment he had decided to cut things off with Melissa. Now though, just like he should have been all along, Eddie was willing to fight tooth and nail for Rachel's love and this relationship. Nothing now could get in the way of his priorities.

"How do you mean?"

Eddie didn't necessarily need to ask, he knew exactly what Rachel was referring to. But he wanted to give her a chance to explain her inner musings rather than risk getting the wrong end of the stick entirely. Eddie wanted to fully understand how Rachel was feeling at this moment.

"Well… what with Melissa leaving just a few hours ago… I just feel guilty sitting here with you. Having admitted our love to one another."

Despite the slightly more serious tone set by Rachel in this conversation, Eddie couldn't help but feel pure joy upon listening to her words and thinking back to their earlier declaration of feelings. Another thought soon replaced this though, and suited the current conversation: how could Rachel possibly feel guilty? After everything which Melissa had put them both through, it just reflected how much of a wonderful and genuine person Rachel was. Sometimes Eddie wished that she would put her own happiness before the well being of others, but there was no way he would want her to _change. _Eddie loved every single part of Rachel, inside and out, so her selfless nature was something that he adored too. Like many other things, it was just a portrayal of how amazing she is.

"I know it must be hard to get your head around Rachel, it's all happened so fast. But for one, it was my mistake, my wrongdoing to get with Melissa in the first place. My feelings for you surpassed platonic a long time ago. And secondly, you should not be feeling guilty. Think about that night at the pub, and what must have been going through Melissa's head. She certainly wasn't feeling guilty."

Rachel still looked uncertain, but Eddie knew her and almost every one of her facial expressions. His words were getting through to Rachel, and she was pondering on them. Hopefully she would listen to him and realise that the guilt and blame is far from compatible with her shoulders. A few seconds passed, and with no response, Eddie lifted his spare hand to caress Rachel's cheek. Her gaze was brought back up to his, and he sensed that she couldn't refrain from giving him a slight smile. Sure enough, Rachel's lips twisted into a small expression. It was small, yet extremely meaningful and sincere. Perhaps she hadn't quite found the words yet, or was too caught up in her own emotion, but Eddie was sure from that signal that the comments he had just made meant a considerable amount to her.

Almost mirroring her earlier action, Rachel tilted her head so that it rested in the palm of Eddie's hand for a moment. This time though, she moved it slightly further so that she was given the ability to emanate a tender kiss onto his palm.

At that moment, for Eddie the whole world stopped. Countless times had he imagined the soft feel of her full lips against his slightly rougher skin. No matter how sensational her mouth against his skin felt in his dreams, nothing could compare to the here and now, to the reality of this situation. Rachel was really here with him now, and her tantalising lips were really pressed against his palm. It was just a reminder that Eddie had finally reached this point that he had once seen as an ambition or a fantasy. Rachel was his and he was Rachel's. Something Eddie would forever thank his lucky stars for.

Rachel tilted her face back to face Eddie's and he dropped his hand ever so slowly, allowing it to linger against the side of her neck for a moment. From the position of his hand, Eddie could feel Rachel's pulse racing, and it only seemed to increase as their eyes met once more. This left Eddie feeling rather gleeful that he was having just as much as an effect on her as she was having on him. That particular thought had become a recurring phenomenon throughout the evening, something which had Eddie's heart soaring out of control.

"Thank you Eddie, for reassuring me. You always know what to say."

He smiled and chuckled slightly, dropping his hand, "that's because I'm always right."

They shared a look as Rachel's lips began to twitch into a smile, "oh… I don't know about that."

Eddie couldn't resist a quirked eyebrow, almost repeating Rachel's own after his earlier admiration.

Rachel was watching Eddie closely as his gaze rotated from her eyes to her lips and back. Almost seconds after noticing this she found herself doing exactly the same. Which is perhaps why Rachel should have second guessed what was coming next.

In an instant she found herself not caring about anything other than the feel of Eddie's lips against her own, or the soft touch of his hand delving into her hip.

As the seconds passed, their exchange became more and more passionate, and their every movement full of further longing than the one previous. Eddie was well aware of Rachel's hand tugging on his shirt, bringing his body as close to hers as possible given the circumstances. He couldn't decide if his mind was more focused on that or the teasing way her nails were grazing across the back of his neck. As Rachel's hand ran through his hair, Eddie decided that that, along with the open mouthed kisses she was pressing against his jaw was his undoing. Which was why the slight groan which emanated from his mouth came naturally. He heard Rachel's brief chuckle against his neck, and felt the way her breath spread across his skin; crescendo like. This only worsened the impact she was having on him. Or bettered it, seemed more appropriate.

Eddie felt himself magnetising towards Rachel and the feel of her body against his. She recognised this apparently, and tugged on his shirt and neck that little bit more; sending her falling backwards onto the couch and Eddie following suit, causing him to land completely on top of her. Even though Rachel had indeed initiated the movement, Eddie wanted to ensure that he wasn't pushing her too far as he had previously wondered. He pulled away slightly, and the way Rachel's head rolled back into the couch following the removal of contact seemingly emphasised her response to Eddie's query.

Her eyes opened to meet his, and Eddie's heart stopped. Of course Rachel's beauty and magnificence had always been at the forefront of his mind. Yet now as she lay beneath him, Eddie seemed to have found the circumstance in which Rachel looked the most beautiful. Her sultry eye movements were framed by her teasing eyelashes and reluctantly, Eddie tore his own eyes away, only to be met with an even more tantalising sight. Rachel's previous gloss covered lips were now rosy red and swollen from the recent moments of contact. Eddiemind flashed back to snippets of previous minutes - the way his tongue gently brushed across her bottom lip to request entrance, and the way his teeth tempted her mouth before doing so. Just when Eddie was beginning to think her mouth couldn't be anymore alluring, the feature pushed his mind that little bit further. And then Rachel smiled, practically sending Eddie's vision cloudy. He was genuinely past the point of no return, but the question swirling around in his mind had to be posed. Just like Rachel's earlier uncertainty was.

"Rachel, are you alright with this?"

If anything, her smile broadened upon hearing Eddie's words. He cared about her feelings first and foremost, something she would be forever grateful for. Like many things that evening, it only accentuated her endless love for him.

"Yes, Eddie. I love you."

Eddie was on the verge of responding when Rachel's lips making contact with his own silenced him. That was enough for Eddie to know that this was what she wanted, just as much as he longed for it. Since he wasn't given the chance to reciprocate Rachel's feelings with words, he concluded that showing her how much he loves her would be sufficient.


	10. Busted

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Chapter 10: Busted

Even as Rachel's alarm woke her the next morning, a smile which was often rare at this time graced her lips. Images and memories from the night before seemed to flash across her mind. Her and Eddie had talked and shared kisses continuously until it was approaching midnight. At one point, he had discovered several ticklish points on Rachel's body - her hips and rib cage in particular. Of course this had resulted in fits of giggles from both parties, eventually all laughter had subsided and they found themselves once more leaning in for a passionate kiss. Once their bodies had become pressed together on the sofa, they had remained that way for sometime. Rachel would never forget the way Eddie reassured her before taking their encounter any further. It was everything she needed to know to emphasise the fact that although they had only officially admitted their feelings several hours prior, their love had begun well before that. Eddie's caring nature was consistent as they progressed and he removed her clothes. In particular her top; once Rachel's upper body was revealed to Eddie, he had showered her scar with an abundance of kisses before doing anything else. She had to admit that leading up to this, Rachel had been slightly insecure about it. But feeling Eddie's lips brush atop the skin like it was the most precious thing in the world, Rachel found herself beginning to believe his mindset about how it didn't change the way she looks.

Afterwards they had laid together on the sofa for at least half an hour; simply cherishing the way they had found that out of world place you can only go to when you find the one person who completely understands you and the way you work. Rachel had certainly found that in Eddie, and Eddie had discovered that in Rachel.

When hearing the front door open, Rachel had suddenly remembered Philip, and had been very glad that the living room door was shut. She was sure they would have had one rather scarred teenager on their hands if he was to make an entrance to the room at this current moment. Listening to his steps ascend the staircase, Rachel and Eddie had fallen into fits of giggles, unable to hide the undoubtedly funny side to this situation.

Once recovering from their state of laughter, the pair had talked about Eddie staying over, but decided it would be best for him to get going after realising that Eddie sleeping at her house, could have been one too many things for Philip to comprehend.

After Eddie's departure, Rachel went upstairs to talk to Philip and remembered feeling glad that her nephew was looking considerably happier than he was several hours ago. Deep down she knew that Bolton wouldn't let her trust in him falter again.

Thinking of Philip, Rachel realised that she was going to have the challenge of awakening a teenage boy this morning. She swung her legs out of bed swiftly, and intended upon getting ready for work in record time.

As she performed mundane tasks like showering and brushing her teeth, Rachel found that she had an unusual spring in her step. This only seemed to accentuate when she acknowledged that this newfound demeanour was wholeheartedly down to Eddie. No one had ever made her feel like this before.

Rachel crossed the landing to Philip's established bedroom and her grin never once faltered. She felt an abundance of joy upon thinking that her smiles were more than likely to be a regular occurrence with Eddie back in her life continuously.

She knocked on her nephew's door after hearing little movement, "Philip? You're going to have to get up now."

Rachel managed to decipher a grunt in response which she took as a yes. Jokingly, she rolled her eyes - it was better than nothing.

Descending the stairs, Rachel decided to put Phil some toast in and make him a coffee along with her own. By the sounds of things, he was certainly going to need it.

As if on cue to the toast popping up, Philip emerged into the doorway, rubbing his eyes and attempting to adjust his tie. Rachel acknowledged that it was early, but found herself laughing internally when pondering just how dramatic Philip was being. And then something occurred to Rachel as he took a seat opposite her.

"Don't tell me you were drinking last night?"

The boy looked down as he thought about lying. No, Rachel would be able to see right through him without a doubt. All in all, there wasn't much point in skirting around the truth. To be honest, she didn't sound particularly annoyed about it. Infact Philip found himself questioning, not for the first time, how she hadn't noticed the night before.

"Erm… yeh. Just a bit. Surely you noticed last night though?"

Rachel looked thoughtful for a moment and then realised that her thoughts had been focused on Eddie and nothing more, considering he had only just left ten minutes prior to her conversation with Philip.

She flushed red slightly, hoping her nephew wouldn't recognise her skin's change in colour, "no, not really," Rachel commented, shaking her head.

"Well yeh, I was. Sorry Rach."

"Look, Philip. I don't really see a problem with you drinking as long as it's happening in moderation, and you are drinking in a safe place, not just some field or back alley," the boy rolled his eyes slightly and she glared back at him, "I'm serious Philip. And that doesn't mean I think it's acceptable to be drinking when you've got school the next day."

Rachel attempted to add an edge of annoyance to her tone, but with Philip's seemingly vibrant mood and her current joyous state of mind, she couldn't keep it up for long. She doubted how genuine her supposed telling off sounded.

"Thanks Rach. And I'm sorry about that, doing it on a school night."

She sighed and smiled at him, "go on, go and get your shoes on or we are going to be late."

"Late?!" Philip announced as he stood, "it's literally 7:15."

"Yes, and I'm the headmistress in case you forgot. Unless you fancy walking to school in the rain."

The boy groaned but shared a smile with his aunt as he left the kitchen. He might not have shown it too much yet, but Philip was more than appreciative of Rachel's willingness to look after him and put a roof over his head. It was something he would forever be thankful for and he found himself questioning how on earth she and Melissa were related.

….

Settled at her desk seeming as though she was drowning in paperwork, Rachel felt her eyes slowly drawing to the clock much like they had done yesterday afternoon. She had only been in school for ten minutes and was already counting down the minutes until Eddie's arrival. Rachel was always the earliest in school, often arriving just after 7:30am. She found it beneficial to have at least a bit of time in the morning to gather her thoughts, and make a start on her seemingly never ending pile of forms to sign. Eddie usually came in slightly later than that, and always offered to make Rachel a coffee upon entering her office. That was something which had never faltered during his relationship with Melissa, and Rachel found herself feeling a slight bit of warmth at that fact. She had always cherished her and Eddie's half an hour together in the mornings, whether that be professional conversation or just light banter. It was certainly a refreshing way to begin her days and left Rachel positively glowing for a significant amount of time afterwards.

Speaking of the devil, Rachel was brought out of her reverie as the door swung open. Only one person ever entered her office without knocking. So this had to be Eddie.

She was delighted to see that his current expression matched her feelings perfectly. Etched within Eddie's features was pure joy and contentment, something which had come in abundance for Rachel ever since his revelation. Or more specifically, ever since the previous evening spent together.

"Hi," Eddie greeted through a smile, taking a step closer to where Rachel sat.

"Hey," Rachel reciprocated, seemingly powerless to fight the not so subtle grin which spread across her lips, "you're in earlier today?"

Eddie glanced down at the floor as a way of hiding his newfound blush. _Busted_. He had been sitting at home eating his breakfast, planning on setting off for work at his normal time. But Eddie's thoughts were completely centered around Rachel. He missed her... and what? It had only been 7 hours or so. Instantly making a move for his hallway, Eddie hadn't been able to wait any longer to be in Rachel's presence. So knowing that she would be in school early - Rachel always was - Eddie set off to arrive in school at a record time. Seemingly his current ambition was to spend as much time with her as possible. In fact, it was more of a natural instinct than an enforced one.

"I wanted to see you," Eddie confessed, seeing no point in diverting from the truth. His love for her was now common knowledge, and he intended to portray that every single day, "cringe alert, but I missed you already."

Rachel hadn't thought this a possibility, but her beam widened and happiness grew. What had she done to deserve a man like Eddie? He was everything she had ever wanted and more.

"Well I'm glad you're here," she responded, succumbing to the urge of standing up and walking round the desk to meet him, "I don't know how you managed it Lawson, but I missed you already too."

Both instantly and instinctively, Eddie's hands found a convenient hold over her hips, and she couldn't stop the shiver which went through her body at the contact. After the previous night, maybe Rachel should have become accustomed to Eddie's touch. Yet she wasn't. It was a sensation that Rachel would never tire of enduring, she reckoned that if she could feel Eddie's touch and presence for the rest of her life she would be more than content. Suddenly not caring about the environment they were currently in, Rachel captured Eddie's lips with her own. Similar thoughts to that of the previous night flashed through her mind: in those couple of seconds as they kissed, Rachel couldn't bring herself to think about anything else other than the feel of Eddie's lips on her own. The majority of these exchanges had so far been extremely passionate, something which neither parties were complaining about. They guessed that it was majorly down to the significant amount of time they had waited for these special and intimate moments. Undoubtedly, they had been on Eddie and Rachel's minds since their working relationship and friendship had been built up.

Upon pulling away, Eddie brushed a strand of hair back from Rachel's face before commenting on making the coffee. She smiled her thanks and made her way over to the sofas, awaiting Eddie's return.

"How did last night go for Philip?" Eddie pondered upon sitting down and passing Rachel her drink.

"He seemed fairly chirpy when he came in last night," Eddie nodded and then Rachel remembered that morning's realisation, "although, he did seem rather hungover this morning."

Eddie almost spluttered on his drink and found himself laughing, "hungover?"

Rachel couldn't help but smirk at Eddie's antics. She cursed herself quickly though, deciding that it wasn't necessarily a laughing matter.

"Eddie really, it's not funny, we shouldn't laugh," she commented, yet the humorous tone was still somewhat evident, "and yes… he was."

"I take it you went full on Miss Mason mode on him?"

Rachel's grin came out into full play now as Eddie joked, unable to suppress her genuine joy any longer.

"You'd be surprised actually. I was rather… calm."

Eddie quirked an eyebrow before responding with jest, "are you feeling alright?"

"Oh shut it you," Rachel swatted his arm, "well, I just said to Philip that I didn't see a problem with it as long as it was happening in moderation and in a safe place. Although I did make it clear that I wasn't best pleased about the whole school night thing."

"Sounds like you handled it well then."

"Hmm," Rachel pondered, "I hope so. I do think I was slightly distracted though."

"Distracted?" Eddie queried, allowing his mind to believe that Rachel was about to say what he was thinking she was going down the route of.

"My mind was somewhat preoccupied."

Eddie laughed now, pleased to know that he had got what she was thinking spot on.

"Ditto," he responded as they shared a knowing glance. Eddie leant forwards now so that his mouth was centimetres away from Rachel's ear, "and just as a thought, I personally find full on Miss Mason mode rather attractive."

Instantly a newly formed deep red flushed across Rachel's face and her lips adjusted to that pout that Eddie found so very mind tingling.

Conversation continued between the pair, and they eventually got on to more school based topics after much flirtation. Not long after the bell for registration went, there was a knock at the door, and the two senior members of staff moved apart slightly - hoping to maintain that professional distance. They were under no illusion, the most perceptive members of staff such as Steph Haydock and Grantley Budgen would certainly read a lot into a close proximity. Something which Rachel and Eddie weren't willing to hand them on a plate.

"Come in," Rachel raised her voice slightly, subsequently whispering to Eddie that he should look busy.

Funnily enough, behind the office door stood Steph Haydock. Rachel sighed internally as she unconsciously thought that it was way too early to have any consultations with the French teacher.

"Steph, what can we do for you?"

"It's your Philip," the woman said, stepping closer into the room.

Rachel and Eddie's subconscious states immediately jumped to the worst case scenario. What had gone on with Philip? And why was Steph being so vague?

With no further explanation from Steph, Rachel decided to press the matter further.

"Sorry Steph, what is it about Philip?"

"Well he's not turned up to the cooler," she stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Rachel's heart sank. She had watched him walk in the direction of the cooler just thirty minutes ago. What had changed since then? Instantly Rachel felt her mind slipping into overdrive, and she found herself wracking her brains for a plausible explanation as opposed to an irrational one.


	11. An Unwelcome Phone Call

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Chapter 11: An Unwelcome Phone-call

Seconds ticked by, and an unhelpful cough from Steph broke the silence. Instantly, Rachel found herself wondering where on earth they would go from here.

"Thank you Steph, we will take it from here."

And there he was, Eddie. Her calming influence. Rachel was grateful for him in all circumstances, but his presence was particularly essential in situations such as the one she found herself in now. Rachel had an extreme tendency to over think every single possibility. But Eddie, he seemed to consolidate all of her knowledge and make it clearer as a way of reassuring her.

Having watched Steph leave the office, Eddie knew from Rachel's entire demeanour that his support and consolation was now required. He too was concerned about Philip, but they had to be level headed in this situation and explore the minor scenarios rather than jumping to the worst case.

Taking a hold of Rachel's hand, Eddie pulled her slightly closer to him once more. She glanced at him questionably, before her gaze softened and she realised what her deputy was doing.

"Let's just think rationally about this. It's likely that he's still in the school. So I'll have a look round, check in the loos and such like, and you can stay here. Maybe try his mobile a few times, he's bound to have it on him."

Rachel seemed unsure before nodding steadily. Giving Eddie's hand a squeeze in thanks, she reluctantly allowed him to part. Rachel wouldn't admit it to anyone, but her initial uncertainty after Eddie had spoken his reassuring words had been at the thought of sitting in her office chewing on the matter without him. She shook her head and sighed; since when had she become so utterly reliant on one person? For so long, Rachel only trusted herself and no one else. But now, she was letting someone that she deeply loved and cared about behind her walls. Undoubtedly, this was a thought that scared Rachel, and yet Eddie was slowly but surely becoming her everything. It had been less than 24 hours since their admittance of feelings, but to them both, it truly felt as if they had been aware of their love for several years.

Picking up her mobile, Rachel reiterated Eddie's supportive words in her mind as she called her nephew's number. Nine times out of ten, Eddie's instincts were right. So hopefully, this situation was one of those instances, and Philip would be sitting in a toilet somewhere in school. Even if this wasn't the case, Rachel found herself taking some comfort in the fact that Eddie would be by her side every step of the way.

Voicemail. As the mundane tone rang in Rachel's ears, she found herself suppressing the urge to scream. Four times Rachel had tried Philip's phone, and four times there was no answer. With this her anxiety only heightened. Philip was never without his phone, it was practically glued to his hand or his pocket. So there was only one explanation - he obviously didn't want to be contacted.

Rachel was about to go and hunt down Eddie to figure out the next best steps when her office door swung open once more.

"Checked all the boys toilets, nothing."

Rachel sighed, running a shaky hand through her hair.

"No answer on his mobile either, voicemail."

Eddie too exhaled with frustration, desperately trying to conjure up ways to resolve this situation and fast.

"He can't have got far Rach," Eddie commented, stepping closer to her and placing his hand on her shoulder as a form of comfort, "he might have even just gone home, how about you go and check? I'll hold the fort, stay here in case he turns up."

Rachel nodded, once more allowing Eddie's comforting words to wash over her. He squeezed her shoulder lightly, silently telling her that his support was steadfast, and that she was more than capable of figuring this one out.

"I'll let you know, if he turns up."

"Thank you Eddie," Rachel reiterated her thoughts as she left the office, hoping with all her being that Philip _had _just gone home as suggested by Eddie. She knew that even if Philip was perfectly safe, there would be a reason behind his behaviour, and another web of truth to unveil.

Rachel mentally shook herself as she reached her car - that wasn't a matter to deal with now, she had to focus on locating Philip first and then deal with the consequences.

She arrived at home in record time, wanting to eradicate any negative thoughts from her brain as swiftly as possible. Reaching the door, she went to unlock it but found that it was in fact, already open. Surely this meant that Philip was inside, and that he had used his key? Rachel emerged into her hallway, refraining from getting her hopes up before she could actually see the boy in front of her eyes.

She glanced down, and noticed Philip's school shoes at the bottom of the stairs. Now, Rachel allowed a sigh of relief to emanate from her mouth. She even felt the beginnings of a smile forming on her lips as she remembered the conversation had with Philip yesterday about taking his shoes off in the house, and the roll of the eyes which that had brought. This had to mean he was here in the house.

"Philip?" Rachel called out as she walked through to the living room.

She didn't need to search anymore, she had found him. Philip was pacing up and down the length of the room, mobile phone in hand. So why hadn't he been answering any of her calls?

"Philip love?" Rachel approached the boy carefully, unsure of how he was going to react considering he hadn't even looked up to acknowledge her presence as of yet.

"What's happened?" she persisted on getting no response.

Rachel felt as if Philip was about to reply, he had finally met her eye. This moment was broken though, by the unmistakable ringtone of his mobile. She felt Philip's tension and anger rise immediately, and she thought for a moment that he was going to throw his phone so that it was no longer his problem.

"Tell her to stop calling me, I don't want to speak to her."

Rachel's curiosity only grew with Philip's recent remark. Philip was evidently rattled, and she intended to get to the bottom of it.

"Tell who love?"

But she didn't need to question it anymore. Philip passed Rachel the phone as the call ended, revealing a name and a photograph which now made her stomach churn.

Melissa.

"Have you spoken to her?" Rachel queried, her own voice evidently shaky.

Philip sat down now, seemingly more relaxed now that the phone and what came with it wasn't his responsibility. Rachel on the other hand, felt as if she was holding a ticking time bomb which could blow up in her face with any given second.

"She rang me in school, and I picked up. She was obviously drunk, slurring her words and stuff so I questioned that. And she was saying how she has got this new man now and that her life is getting sorted out."

Rachel felt frozen. How could Melissa have possibly found someone else within the space of twenty four hours? On top of this, why was she drunk at 8 o'clock in the morning? She shuddered, unable to deal with the possibilities. Despite everything, Rachel still felt pangs of concern for her sister. She never couldn't, Melissa was her flesh and blood. Ultimately though, pondering on Mel's selfish ways, Rachel decided that she couldn't be the one to clean up her mess this time. In the past, Rachel had jumped to her sister's rescue countless times. With each and every instance though, Melissa had only thrown it back in her face and tried to blame Rachel for her situations. Now, Rachel wasn't going to give Melissa the chance to do so. This was her mess, and she had to sort it.

"She said that she wanted to see me, and that I should come and live with her and not 'your heartless auntie' as she put it."

Hearing Philip refer to Melissa's comments only emphasised Rachel's want to utterly cut off her sister's mistakes and consequences from her mind. The irony and hypocrisy was immeasurable, and Rachel found herself wincing when replaying the utterance in her brain.

Philip evidently noticed this, and instantly attempted to backtrack on his previous words, "Rach, I'm sorry, you didn't need to know that."

"No… Philip, I did," Rachel said in hopes of reassuring her nephew.

She truly meant it though. Had Philip not revealed the true extent of Melissa's spite, it was likely that Rachel would have found herself pulling her younger sister out of the gutter once more.

"I mean… maybe it is best if I just go and live with mum."

Rachel felt shock course through her body upon hearing Philip's words. Surely this was just a sign that he needed more reassurance? Only moments ago had Philip been saying that he didn't want to speak to Melissa, so it was unlikely that his mind had changed drastically since then. Rachel thought back on her and Eddie's brief conversation with Philip yesterday. At the time, seemingly the boy had been put at ease by their support. Now though, Rachel was questioning if they had truly gotten through to Philip.

Certainly not for the first time since the events of the previous day, Rachel felt immensely sorry for her nephew. His mother had abandoned him out of the blue, all because of the breakdown of a relationship. Despite Rachel and Eddie's comments about always being there for him, Philip was obviously finding it extremely difficult to open up and let people in. She wasn't an expert, but Rachel guessed it was for fear of trusting people and then walking away. Undoubtedly, the blame for this lay with Melissa. Something which Rachel couldn't bring herself to forgive.

"Philip, I really don't think that's the best solution here…"

"Why not?!" The boy interrupted, "I mean, it's not like you and Eddie want me. You'd be better off without me as well."

"Philip," Rachel began, walking over to take a seat next to her nephew, "that is in no way the case. Eddie and I, we aren't going anywhere. And you are our first priority. My house is a home for you, for as long as you would like it. And that's a promise Philip."

Philip's original anger seemed to disintegrate slightly, as he slouched further into the sofa. Perhaps the realisation that his mother's abandonment wasn't going to be mirrored with his aunt was finally hitting him. Rachel hoped he knew that she would never put him through such a thing. She was willing to support him no matter what, and with that, came reassurance that she wasn't going anywhere. For Rachel, it doesn't matter how long it takes, she wanted Philip to get to a point where he feels able to trust the people around him.

"Do you really mean that?"

The uncertainty etched within Philip's tone was still evident. But also apparent, was a sense of hope. This gave Rachel some encouragement, maybe she was heading in the right direction in terms of restoring her nephew's faith in the people around him.

"Wholeheartedly Philip."

He smiled now, and Rachel guessed that it was perhaps his way of showing thanks. She gathered that currently, Philip was finding it difficult to comprehend his true feelings and therefore express them.

Philip glanced down, "do I have to go back to school?"

He knew it was a long shot, what with his aunt being the headteacher of his school, but the idea of spending an afternoon in the cooler didn't exactly appeal to Philip. As much as Rachel was likely to oppose his suggestion, Philip was glad to see that she looked slightly more carefree and less concerned after his recent question. Perhaps she was sort of figuring that Philip was leaning back towards his usual self. He hoped that was the case, because it would be the correct assumption. Once again, his aunt's support had well and truly alleviated any tension in Philip's mind.

"I think you already know the answer to that," Rachel smiled as she stood, provoking a predictable sigh from the boy, "I can't condone bunking off school Philip."

Philip stood now, rising to Rachel's level, "I know, I know. But it was worth a shot wasn't it?"

Rachel shook her head in response and chuckled. She sent Eddie a text confirming that Philip was in fact, okay and that she would explain all once they were back at school. Rachel couldn't help smiling to herself as she predicted Eddie's jibes about her constant over thinking and his contrasting level headedness. She genuinely wouldn't have it any other way. Rachel was under no illusion when it came to Philip though, this situation was far from perfect. Her and Eddie would have to keep their support consistent, and show Philip that no matter what Melissa attempted, he was welcome in her home for as long as he wished.


	12. More Than a Dream

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Chapter 12: More Than a Dream

"Oh am I happy to see you," Rachel commented as she fell into Eddie's arms upon arriving back at her office.

Eddie welcomed the embrace, immediately wrapping his arms around Rachel's frame. His face landed on her head as he planted a kiss atop of her hair, still cherishing the way she slotted perfectly beneath his neck. Registering Rachel's exact words, Eddie let out a chuckle, adoring how open she was now being about her feelings towards him.

He guided Rachel over to the sofas, retaining as much contact as possible. Eddie was glad that he had gotten another maths teacher to cover his year 10 class, since he wanted to prioritise Rachel and put the divulgence of this situation at the top of his agenda.

Reluctantly, Rachel untangled herself from Eddie's touch, yet didn't much mind when their eyes met lovingly as an alternative. Absentmindedly, it occurred to her the amount of in depth conversations they had shared on this sofa. Even a day later the thought of yesterday's confession of their love made Rachel feel an intense adoration for the man in front of her. This talk in particular was certainly going to be an opposing atmosphere to that of the day before. Rachel was slightly concerned about how Eddie was going to react when hearing that Melissa had made contact. Or more specifically, when she went through the details of Melissa's spitefulness and comments. Rachel had most definitely been unnerved by it, so hoped that Eddie would be able to calm her fears. Warmth ran through Rachel as she realised that that had become a regular occurence over the past 24 hours. The thought of having Eddie's loving presence by her side for the rest of her life made Rachel feel like the luckiest woman in the world.

Sensing Rachel's uncertainty about broaching the events with Philip, Eddie reached across for her hands and began to trace patterns across the backs of them. Something which from recent hours, he knew to be an action which calmed her.

In return Rachel squeezed Eddie's hands lightly and offered a sincere smile. She was privy to his motives, and couldn't help the wave of fondness and admiration which ran through her upon considering them. Rachel had become less panicked and more rational in the past day with Eddie consistently by her side, and this was a quality or ability that she never believed she would find in a person. Rachel herself was innable at calming her own fears and overthinking, so how could someone else achieve it? All in all, she kind of gathered that this was one of the many reasons why she was so in awe of Eddie.

"Melissa… she kept calling Philip. It unnerved him, a lot in fact."

Rachel watched on as Eddie's expression contorted into that of disgust and anger, completely directed at both the mention and thought of her sister. His features seemed to mirror her current feelings perfectly. Rachel felt outraged at the way Melissa had contacted Philip and worked her way into his brain once more, planting doubts which were far from the truth.

Eddie wasn't sure if he wanted to find out the answer to his next question, but knew it was a necessity if he was going to settle any of Rachel or Philip's worries. Ideally, he longed to eradicate Melissa from his mind for good. To Eddie, she was a symbol of his recent misdemeanours and foolishness. Not only that, her selfishness towards both him, Rachel and Philip was immeasurable. Eddie couldn't even bring himself to entertain thoughts of the woman.

"What did she say… what did she want?"

"She was drunk, apparently. Philip said a new man was on the scene, and that she wanted Philip to go and live with them both. Her exact comment was, come and live with us rather than 'your heartless auntie.' "

Eddie scowled now, tension and sheer ferocity very much present in his body, "oh how very ironic. How bloody dare she?"

Rachel shifted her hand to his arm now, hoping that once again her touch would release some of the anger Eddie was righteously feeling. It worked, briefly, and Rachel waited until Eddie's eyes met hers again to continue. Rachel hoped that much like his deep brown orbs often relaxed her, her own hazel ones could bring him a sense of contentment.

"The comments aimed at me, aren't an issue Eddie. I'm not going to let them bother me."

Rachel was about to speak once more when she saw the smile which graced Eddie's lips. The pride emanating from his features was evident and Rachel felt her heartbeat pick up speed at the thought.

"Good. Because that is in no way true. You are the polar opposite of heartless Rachel."

She smiled her thanks and shifted slightly closer to Eddie, his warmth and touch was now far too tempting and inviting. Having spent so many months unable to partake in such in depth physical contact with one another, the pair felt like they could be glued to each other's sides for the foreseeable future. For so long they had only been able to have fleeting glances across a room, or brief touches of shoulders and elbows. It had been far from what they both desired. Which could be why they didn't want to spend a moment of their days apart, every second was utterly reassured by both Eddie and Rachel.

Rachel felt completely at ease as she rested her head against Eddie's chest. The rising and falling of his breathing was enough to calm any of her anxiousness, never mind his support in the form of words. With Eddie, Rachel felt able to open up the string of thoughts often present in her brain. He was someone who she always felt comfortable around, and Rachel had never before anticipated that sharing her deepest, darkest secrets with another human could have ever been a possibility.

"My first thought after Philip's wellbeing, was concern for Melissa. She's my sister Eddie, her selfish ways don't change that. I mean, who on earth is this man she's with and why is she drinking at eight in the morning?"

Eddie sighed before responding, "Rachel, one of the many reasons why I fell in love with you was because of the way you constantly put others before yourself. Even if, they have caused you harm in any way. But please Rach, just this once, put yourself first? I completely understand that you are worried about your sister, I get that, I really do. But just think about this for a moment, if the tables were turned, do you really think Melissa would be so concerned about you?"

"She wouldn't… I know that, for a fact."

Eddie brushed a strand of hair back from Rachel's face as he looked down at her. The conflict in her features almost broke his heart, and Eddie just had to hope that his support was making a difference.

"Do you really think she's entered a relationship with a man in the space of twenty four hours? Surely she's just using it as a way of provoking a reaction from you, or Philip?"

"I don't know Eddie, this is Melissa we are talking about. She's capable of both of those things."

Eddie cringed internally as he thought back to Melissa's first day, entering a relationship with a man in the space of a day was exactly what she had done then, with him. He tightened his grip on Rachel slightly, hoping that it would remind her that he's right here with her, where he should have been all along. Just as Eddie was thinking of words to comfort Rachel, he remembered how he had spent some of his time when she had been with Philip. Despite cooking for Rachel the previous evening, Eddie wanted to further highlight how much she truly means to him. With the weekend just two and a bit days away, he pondered on the idea of taking Rachel away for the night somewhere. Eddie had intended on it being a surprise, but he reckoned that he could just approach the idea of going out for a meal, and keep her in the dark about the staying over part. He wanted more than anything to give her something to look forward to, Rachel most certainly deserved it more than anyone. So Eddie sat up slightly, prompting Rachel to look at him as he made the proposition.

"Why don't we go out at the weekend?" Eddie posed this question and saw the way Rachel's expression lit up entirely. Instantly, he was glad that he'd made the suggestion, "properly I mean, it could be our first date."

Rachel leant into him again now, still making sure that their eyes could meet.

"Our first date?"

"Absolutely. You deserve it, and it'll give us something to look forward to after a long week."

A grin spread across Rachel's mouth and caused all the rest of her features to glow. Eddie couldn't help but feel an immense amount of joy considering his involvement in that expression.

She leant towards his now, kissing Eddie with feeling and giving him a brief moment to respond before pulling away and resting their foreheads together, "okay then, it's a date."


	13. Surprise

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Chapter 13: Surprise

Rachel was both surprised and delighted with how effortlessly Philip seemed to ease back into his good old self during the days following Melissa's contact. She was expecting him to have some setbacks at least, but it was now Saturday morning and there was no sign of Philip taking a relapse. Perhaps substantial factors - there had been no more phone calls from Melissa, and Philip had now built up a strong friendship with both Paul and Bolton. Rachel was extremely glad that her reassurances had gotten through to him, and that he was enjoying school far better. Although Rachel knew that she would continue to offer her support for Philip endlessly, for as long as he stayed with her and beyond that.

It was now nine o'clock and the boy hadn't emerged from his bedroom. Rachel didn't mind much though, it was Saturday afterall. Besides, she was enjoying the way her own company meant that she could slip into her thoughts about Eddie and the evening ahead without too much consideration for her surroundings. He had planned a meal out, but hadn't specified the restaurant - said it was a surprise. Little did Rachel know, that wasn't the only thing his surprise entailed.

Just as Rachel was about to move from her kitchen into the living room, her phone which was resting on the kitchen counter buzzed. This grasped her attention instantly, even more so when she saw that Eddie's name had lit up on the screen.

_Miss you already, tonight can't come quick enough x_

Almost instantaneously, Rachel's face broke out into a dazzling smile. She was unable to hide the sheer contentment that coursed through her body. In fact, she no longer needed to, and didn't in any way have a desire to. Her joy was particularly directed towards the forefront of the text message: _miss you already. _Ever since the moment on Tuesday morning in Rachel's office, the pair had embraced it as 'their thing.' Even if they had only spent several hours apart, either her or Eddie would make the comment, causing them great joy upon thinking back to the events leading up to that morning.

She allowed herself to bask in the wonderful feelings that seemed to appear when Eddie crossed her mind for several moments, before tapping in her reply.

_I miss you too, of course. Although I do think you should tell me where we are going x_

A few moments passed of Rachel staring intently at her phone, waiting on Eddie's imminent reply.

_All you need to know, is that you will love it x_

Rachel chuckled now, both in awe and excitement. She loved and hated the fact that Eddie wouldn't share the location of their meal. Rachel had always wondered if he would be the romantic type, and from recent days, she could most certainly vouch for that thought.

On Thursday, Eddie had spent the night round hers. They had stayed up until the early hours, talking and listening intently to one another, and of course sharing those most loved intimate moments which seemingly made them both feel incredible. It surprised and enthralled her just how much she had learnt about Eddie in that evening. It was utterly amazing to know someone to the extent that they know each other.

Rachel thought back to Thursday night for a moment, with familiar feelings of adoration very much present. When Eddie had cooked at her house, she remembered a conversation had about films, and she had divulged to him many of her favourites. So when Eddie arrived on her doorstep on Thursday evening, Rachel's heart had warmed upon being told his plans for the night. He had brought three of her all time favourite films, along with an endless supply of chocolate and wine. Just when Rachel thought that Eddie couldn't get any more phenomenal, he excelled himself.

Rachel remembered holding back the swell of emotional tears as she had let Eddie into the hallway. He truly made her the happiest she had ever felt in the world, and she hoped with all her heart that he was having similar musings about her.

Bringing herself out of her reverie, Rachel now made her way into the living room. She knew that today would go slowly as she would be constantly willing for tonight to arrive. Glancing at her watch, Rachel was already counting down the hours. She decided upon completing some paperwork, yet Eddie never once faltered from the back of her mind.

….

"Your chariot awaits," Eddie joked, holding out his arm for Rachel to take.

He had arrived at 7 o'clock on the dot, and as Rachel opened the door to him, it warmed her heart to see his chosen attire for the evening. The events where Eddie wore a tie and smart shoes were far and few, yet here he was on her doorstep wearing both of these things along with a blazer.

Rachel giggled as Eddie took her hand to lead her over to his car. It was almost automatic, the way her eyes glazed over his whole being; from head to foot. Seemingly, it was a gesture that Eddie had succumbed to with Rachel just moments ago. Something that hadn't registered with Rachel, she had been too busy slipping on her heels. Eddie though, seemed to be well aware and somewhat delighted that Rachel's eyes were fixed on him.

He glanced across just as Rachel was about to avert her gaze. She was glad to see that his own expression was full of the tenderness and intimacy that Rachel imagined was swimming in her own eyes.

Eddie's left eyebrow quirked slightly as they made eye contact, causing Rachel to fall into that wonderful bout of laughter once more. She brought them to a halt as they reached his car door, turning to face Eddie so that they were head on with one another. She intended to answer the question behind his chocolate brown orbs.

"I was just thinking that you should wear a tie and blazer more often," Rachel commented as she took a step closer to Eddie, placing both of her hands over his chest.

She watched on as a faint blush creeped up across his cheeks, and couldn't stop the brief smirk that landed on her lips. As a rule, it was Rachel who blushed at Eddie's consistent compliments. It was time for a touch of good natured karma.

He met her gaze now, and Rachel just couldn't resist.

"You look rather handsome, if I do say so myself."

Eddie's slightly flushed features transformed into those of joy and fondness as he brought Rachel closer into an embrace. Willingly, she rested her head on Eddie's shoulder for a moment, stomach fluttering as she felt his mouth gravitate towards her ear and the side of her neck.

"I love you Rach."

The butterflies floating around inside of her seemed to heighten drastically at this show of affection. Only a handful of times had the pair spoken these words since their declaration earlier on in the week. So their feelings were still extremely precious, something to be treasured. But Rcahel guessed that would always be the case, no matter how long it had been common knowledge for.

Rachel pulled away from Eddie slightly, so that their eyes could meet. She lifted Eddie's chin up slightly so that she could place a much needed kiss on his smiling lips.

"I love you too," she muttered against his lips as they broke apart.

Revelling in the warmth of one another for a few moments more, the couple reluctantly parted to take their seats in the car. As they drove, Eddie regularly placed a hand on Rachel's knee, perhaps his way of telling her that he longed for that constant electrifying contact.

After around ten minutes of travelling, Eddie pulled off the main road and began to drive up a slightly smaller one. Rachel faintly registered the similarities with a road leading up to some sort of stately home, and she recognised for what felt like the thousandth time, just how much this meant to Eddie. Just like all the other moments spent together since their admittance on Tuesday, he wanted scenarios like this to be special, he wanted her to feel special. Because in Eddie's eyes, Rachel is special. _Nothing can change that. _

The building that they approached was truly magnificent. At some point, Rachel guessed that it had been a stately home. Taking in the size of the place, she considered that it must be a hotel as well as a restaurant, and she made note to mention to Eddie about coming back here at some point in the future to stay.

Maintaining his camaraderie, Eddie approached Rachel's side of the vehicle to open the door and take her by the hand. They ended up in a similar position to that of fifteen minutes earlier, outside Rachel's home. Eddie's hands had taken a loving hold of her hips, whilst Rachel's wrapped fondly around the back of his neck. She interlocked her own fingers and stole a glance at Eddie. Seemingly a regular occurence now, the way he was gazing at her, took Rachel's breath away.

"Eddie this looks wonderful. I didn't realise there was such a place so close to my house."

Eddie smiled tenderly at Rachel, taking in her glowing response to their atmosphere.

"I think you'll like it. It's wonderful inside too."

"It must be a hotel as well?" Rachel questioned as they walked hand in hand towards the building.

Eddie nodded, holding back his grin. He had been given the perfect opening.

"We should come back and stay here at some point, maybe the Easter break," Rachel continued, and Eddie decided to take his opportunity.

"There's no need."

Rachel stopped their movements to face Eddie, nonplussed and confused. He just beamed for a moment, hoping that she would glean enough from his current expression to understand.

"Well, I've booked it for this evening."

It was Rachel's expression that lit up now. She did look surprised, and Eddie was glad that his plan had paid off.

"And before you ask," Eddie began, anticipating that Rachel would pose him with several questions, "there's a bag of your clothes for tomorrow in the car. Toiletries and pyjamas as well. All the essentials I hope. Philip is also aware, doesn't have a problem with it. He's staying at Bolton's tonight."

Rachel's mouth parted slightly in utter awe, and she glanced up at this wonderful man in front of her who she was so lucky to call hers.

"Say something Rachel," Eddie implored, smiling lightly at her lack of response and wide eyed expression.

"This is… wow. No one has ever done anything like this for me before," she grinned now, maybe recovering from the initial wonder that she had been surrounded by.

"Rachel, you deserve all of this and a whole lot more," Eddie said, starting their movements back up to walk the staircase leading to the hotel.

They came to a halt one again, allowing Rachel to plant a brief kiss on Eddie's cheek before proceeding, "One question though," Rachel commented animatedly, all the while linking Eddie's arm. He nodded, willing her to continue, "how did you manage to get hold of my clothes?"

"Thursday night. When I stayed over. Didn't think you'd mind. I didn't take your toiletries though, didn't think you'd appreciate going without toothpaste for a day… so I just picked up a couple of bits from the shop," Eddie just couldn't stop smiling now, and he was pleased to see that Rachel's mouth was contorted into a similar shape.

"You're phenomenal. What on earth did I do to deserve you?"

"I think you'll find it's more the other way round Rach."

She shook her head slightly and bit her lip, on the verge of correcting him but Eddie stopped as they were approaching the front desk. Of course he silenced her in the most effective way possible, with a tender kiss on her lips. She was well and truly left speechless - in the most wonderful way.


	14. There's Something Special About Tonight

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Chapter 14: There's Something Special About Tonight

Rachel hadn't stopped smiling for the past half an hour, and her happiness rocketed when she felt Eddie's hand on her back when they were led over to their table. Seemingly, she couldn't resist looking back over her shoulder at him. Rachel was hard pressed not to turn around and wrap herself up in his arms there and then. The way Eddie's eyes lingered over all of her features seem to symbolise everything that he had confessed to her in recent days. His irrevocable love, his belief in her beauty, and his endless support. And the best thing was that Rachel reciprocated every single inch of his love. Normally, the thought of such intense feelings for a person would have overwhelmed Rachel, scared her even. Yet with Eddie, everything just felt … perfect. From the way he smiled at her to their conversations about anything and everything, this was all that Rachel had ever longed for and more; particularly with Eddie.

At the table, their legs were constantly touching, with Eddie's knee resting somewhat lovingly against her thigh. With the contact happening so frequently, and the fleeting, sultry glances that he was giving her across the table, Rachel gathered that the gestures were entirely purposeful. Not that she minded, far from it in fact.

Their conversation was generally light, with more brief comments being passed between the pair of them than deep discussions. This was entirely contrasting to their eye contact. Rachel didn't think that their gazes had faltered from one another for more than twenty seconds or so, if that. Conversation with Eddie and Rachel wasn't a necessity, and that was one of the strengths and brilliant things about their relationship. The atmosphere was never awkward, and always comfortable. Being with Eddie was so amazingly easy it almost felt surreal.

Their food arrived shortly after this thought occurred to Rachel, and they reluctantly tore their eyes away. They made comments about the meals for a few moments, and ended up getting into a conversation about the different types of strange foods they had tried.

"Snails?!" Eddie exclaimed at Rachel's question.

"Yes, surely you've heard of them Lawson. _Escargots." _

He couldn't help but chuckle at Rachel's imitation of the French accent, and found himself thinking that snails sounded so much more appealing with the word _escargots _rolling off Rachel's tongue. Although she did have that effect on everything and everyone; the ability to make scenarios and phenomenons that little bit better.

"Well…. I've heard of them. Can't say I've tried them though, or that I'd like to."

Rachel laughed now, and Eddie found himself wanting to take a picture of this moment with his mind, to store in memory. He'd meant every word of what he said on Tuesday, she truly was beautiful. It was Rachel's smile that seemed to entrapture him the most; perhaps it was the way her already exquisite lips curled up into the most wonderful of shapes, or the way her head tipped back in the throes of ecstasy. Eddie couldn't help but take a glimpse of delight from the idea that this smile currently lighting up her face was down to him, and his presence. He made a mental note to at some point this evening, express to Rachel just how joyous she made him feel. That's if he can find the words.

"They aren't half as bad as you might think. Just tastes like garlic really," Rachel commented, shrugging her shoulder slightly.

"Here's one for you," Eddie chuckled after a few moments of silence, evidently quite pleased with the food he had come up with, "fried spider."

Rachel struggled not to splutter as she took a sip of her drink, swiftly swallowing before responding.

"So you won't try snails but have willingly ate fried spiders? Very logical."

Eddie couldn't help but join Rachel with the current laughter she was emanating. She just had that influence on him, with every passing moment they spent together, his contentment only elevated.

"Well… not _exactly _willingly. It was a sort of dare, on holiday with my brother a few years back in Cambodia."

Rachel brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes as she learnt that little bit more about Eddie. She had already known of his brother, but something as small as a past trip to Cambodia seemed to enthrall her. With Eddie, it was truly amazing to get to know him, something which Rachel had rarely felt about other people involved in her life. He held and would always hold that extremely unique place in her heart.

"Well Lawson, if you can stomach spiders, you can stomach snails. We will have to go to France so I can coax you into trying them."

Eddie went to respond but the words in his throat seemed to be snatched away from him as the comment Rachel made had said sank in. He truly began to realise the enormity of her suggestion. Rachel was thinking towards the future, desiring to share long periods of time with him in an environment such as a holiday. Eddie had to blink twice to fully assure himself that this was in fact, happening. He was finally sharing dinner with the woman of his dreams, discussing anything from bizarre foods to future plans.

"I think that's a marvellous idea," Eddie commented the second his heart rate had returned to a normal pace.

He felt that as another comfortable silence set in the atmosphere, it was a perfect moment to reach across the table and take Rachel by the hand. It hadn't been the first time he'd made the gesture this evening, but somehow now, given the topics that they'd recently discussed, the contact felt all the more significant. There was something about the atmosphere this evening that made being with Rachel all the more special.

Soon after Eddie had initiated the proximity, a waiter approached them wondering about desserts. They agreed to have a look at the menus, and would have normally removed their hands to turn attentions to the choice of food on offer. Somehow though, neither felt any sort of longing to lose that intimacy, so merely glanced across at the menus laid out on the table.

Eventually they pulled their hands away when deciding on what to have, with the shared knowledge that the contact could be resumed at any point throughout the evening.

Taking in the vast array of sweet items, the sharing desserts caught Rachel's eye. Agreeing intently at her suggestion, Eddie and Rachel decided on some kind of ice cream sundae.

They ended up in fits of giggles as the dessert arrived, with both of them leaning forwards to take a spoonful first. As it happened, it was Rachel who triumphantly scooped up some ice cream, which meant Eddie had an opportunity to focus his gaze on her for a moment. This always proved an advantage. Eddie wasn't sure what was affecting him more, the way her eyes were currently sparkling as they rested very much on him, or the way she was placing her mouth around the metal to make the most out of her spoonful. Perhaps not the most suitable place to have such thoughts, Eddie couldn't help but notice the sultry way with which she was eating. Seemingly, he had to mentally shake himself as a way of regaining both composure and concentration.

Only as Eddie lent further forwards to take a spoonful of his own, did he notice the satisfied smirk playing across Rachel's lips. He guessed that her actions and glances of moments ago had been more meaningful and purposeful than accidental.

He shared a knowing look with Rachel before returning to his ice cream, trying to focus on the flavour of the chocolate rather than the scenarios his mind had created for him. It was that exact moment that the waiter chose to return to their tables and question if everything was alright with their desserts. Rachel had to suppress a bout of laughter as she glanced across at Eddie before responding to their server. He was fidgeting slightly, and his skin tone rather flushed - evidently, he was doing everything in his power to regain at least a slither of composure.

"Shall we get the bill Eddie?" Rachel questioned once their dessert had been finished off, still struggling to fight off that knowing grin at the way Eddie was currently acting.

The man himself cleared his throat before sitting forwards, seemingly slightly more concentrated now. Eddie nodded and smiled, standing to make a move towards the bar, just as the voice of Rachel stopped him in his tracks.

"Eddie, will you let me pay half?"

He turned around fully now, stepping towards Rachel with a slightly more serious tone etched within his features, "no Rach, absolutely not. This is my treat."

Of course she opened her mouth to protest, but Eddie caught a glimpse of the unmistakable flash of happiness and awe which coursed across her features as an initial reaction. Yet again Eddie felt immeasurably delighted that he had been a part of this bubble of joy emanating from Rachel.

"No buts, I'm paying," he grinned, and Rachel could do nothing now but return the gesture, smiling intently as Eddie turned around and walked away.

Rachel kept her stare firmly locked on Eddie as he approached the bar area. Even if she wanted to, it would have been impossible to tear her eyes away. Rachel was truly transfixed by Eddie and all that he had done for her already, in the space of a mere few days. He made her feel a happiness like no other, and for that, Rachel would be forever grateful.


	15. I Need You and You Need Me

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Chapter 15: I Need You and You Need Me

"I still can't believe you managed to collect some of my clothes without me noticing," Rachel commented as Eddie interlocked her arm with his own.

They now stood at his car, grabbing any of their bags from the boot which would be needed.

Eddie chuckled at the mixed expression on Rachel's face, one full of both disbelief and awe, "it was when you were on the phone, ordering a takeaway."

"Ah… good thinking Lawson. I'd like to know how you achieved that in the space of what? Two minutes."

They chuckled simultaneously as Eddie purposefully brushed the back of his hand against Rachel's.

"Don't underestimate me Mason, I'm full of surprises."

Rachel seemed to glow with happiness at Eddie's nod towards the way he had planned out this evening. It just seemed to emphasise how breath taking the full thing had been so far, and Rachel felt a sudden urge to express her never ending gratitude.

"I might have already said it Eddie, but thank you. Tonight has… truly been wonderful. I really wouldn't have it any other way, than being here with you."

"I can second that, and the night's not over yet," Eddie grinned, stepping closer to her slightly. He had to resist the temptation to drop the bags he was holding and wrap Rachel up in his embrace. This was something that he managed with the knowledge that he could fall asleep tonight holding her in his arms.

Rachel simply mirrored Eddie's expression, bringing her own hands to rest on the lapels of his jacket. This somewhat made up for the contact he so very much longed for.

"I meant what I said Rachel," Eddie continued, "you deserve all of this so much. I hope that… I can make you feel as happy as you deserve to be… everyday. If I can do that, and be with you, then I know that the rest of my life will be wonderful, and entirely purposeful."

Much like Thursday evening, Rachel couldn't hold back the swell of emotional tears which controlled her eyes. Eddie noticed this, and his soft and loving expression was only accentuated.

Now he did let his hold drop on one of the bags, bringing his newly free hand up to brush away any remnants of salty residue.

Perhaps to anyone else, the way in which they were with one another only a handful of days after declaring their love, would seem slightly crazy. The truth was though, their feelings had run deep for a far longer time than four days, something that both parties were aware of. After being introduced, within several weeks of working together, Rachel and Eddie had fallen head over heels for one another. Those feelings had never disappeared, they had always been present in their minds. It was just, for a long time, they weren't able to express them in the way with which they longed to. So now, every moment was to be grasped, and they were simply basking within the extraordinary atmosphere that rose whenever they were together.

Rachel seemed to shiver slightly under Eddie's touch, with his hand still remaining cupping her cheek. This was an involuntary reaction, one which had everything to do with the feel of his skin on hers and nothing to do with the slight breeze which was now in the air.

"I hope that I can make you as happy as you make me Eddie."

He moved his hand down to caress her neck as he drank in Rachel's words, "Rach, don't you see that you already make me the happiest man alive?"

Rachel closed her eyes for a brief moment, hoping to savour Eddie's heartfelt words and this fantastic memory. To hear that she made Eddie just as happy as he made her, brought Rachel an insurmountable sense of delight.

Rachel rested her head against Eddie's shoulder for a minute or two, before she shifted her position so that she and Eddie were linking arms. Within a few seconds, Eddie had once more taken a hold of their bags and they were making their way back into the building.

With their belongings collected, and key card for their room in hand, the couple began to locate where they would be staying. After realising it was on the top floor and several flights of stairs up, Rachel and Eddie didn't fancy climbing up an abundance of steps after their filling meal, so decided to take the lift.

As the lift doors shut, both parties came to the realisation that they were entirely alone for the first time this evening. Rachel couldn't resist it as they shared a teasing glance, and leant forwards slightly to press a kiss to Eddie's lips. It was short yet deep and meaningful, portraying perfectly just how much they longed for one another. They pulled away and rested their foreheads together, unable to refrain from letting out the laughter which was building up inside of them. Eddie glanced down at the side of Rachel's face, planning on inching his lips towards her jaw to emanate loving kisses. He longed to feel her skin beneath his lips.

Just then though, the lift came to a halt, beeping to signal that the doors were about to open. Rachel and Eddie broke apart slightly upon realising that this was the floor below theirs, so undoubtedly, someone would be joining them in the lift. Sure enough, the door opening revealed an elderly couple who offered a slight smile before entering. The faces of both Eddie and Rachel were flushed a light pink, considering a different scenario that the man and woman could have walked in on.

As the lift pinged once more, both couples stepped out of the lift, heading in opposite directions. One glance was all it took for Rachel and Eddie to end up in fits of giggles.

"God, Eddie," Rachel laughed, "I feel like one of the kids at school!"

He nudged her slightly with his elbow, "we aren't that bad."

Rachel quirked an eyebrow as they arrived at their room, stopping to step forwards and unlock the door. She found herself fumbling with the key card as Eddie stepped behind her to wrap his arms around her waist. As he leant down to nuzzle into the side of her neck, Eddie's warm breath on her skin proved too much for Rachel. Giving up with unlocking the door, she partially turned her head around to flash Eddie a smile and spread her palm across his cheek. From the look on Eddie's face, undoubtedly he was aware of the way he was affecting her. Also apparent though, was the edge to his expression which revealed that Rachel was having a similar influence on him.

Taking one final grasp at her tenuous self control, Rachel turned to successfully swipe the key card across the door. Opening it she turned back around to face Eddie, but fully now. He couldn't hide his smile as Rachel pulled on his jacket and backed them up into the room, all the while exchanging in a passionate kiss. Neither Eddie nor Rachel chose to acknowledge the sound of the door as it slammed shut, attentions perfectly fixated on one another. Rachel smirked when she ducked her head to plant a trail of kisses across Eddie's jaw. He groaned slightly and Rachel wasn't sure if that was a result of the loss of her lips on his own or because of the way her mouth was gently brushing across his skin.

After a moment or two, it appeared that Eddie couldn't take Rachel's teasing any longer, and he gently nudged her face back up to his waiting lips. Rachel swiped her tongue over Eddie's lower lip, and his mouth parted, allowing her entrance. Their tongues danced in a way which they had become accustomed to now. All the while, their insatiable need for one another only heightened. Eddie shifted his hands from Rachel's hips, skirting them up her body. He wanted to feel every precious inch of her, and had this in mind as he ran his hands under her jacket to remove it. Rachel rolled her muscles and Eddie felt it, he felt the sensation beneath his fingertips. She shrugged the jacket off and Eddie couldn't take her taunting anymore. He glanced down at Rachel's neck, with all the intentions of his earlier gaze when stood in the lift. Except now, Eddie followed those desires through, leaning down to connect his lips with the crook of Rachel's neck. She groaned, her head tipping back as a way of urging him on to continue. He did just that more than willingly, nipping along her collarbone with his teeth the second his mouth reached it.

Eddie was so wrapped up in the scent of Rachel's perfume drifting towards his nose, and the softness of her skin that he was caught off guard as her hands moved towards the buttons on his shirt. She undid them with speed, and Eddie reluctantly broke his hold on Rachel's hips to help her remove his shirt. Bringing their lips back into contact once more, Eddie reached round to the back of Rachel's top, undoing the zip before inching the clothing upwards. She arched her back to assist Eddie with pulling the top over her head, before speedily adjoining their lips together once more.

Meanwhile, Eddie pulled Rachel flush against him, with the skin on skin contact sending their visions cloudy. Seemingly it was a chemical reaction, one that had been fizzling away with all evening spent together. It was Eddie facing away from the bed, so Rachel backed him towards it. Pushing Eddie down onto the fresh sheets, Rachel joined him by clambering atop of his body. They both knew just how special and phenomenal this was going to be, having cherished the events of Tuesday and Thursday evening. Although, it seemed their feelings strengthened more and more each time, and this would be no exception.

After kissing for several moments, Eddie wrapped one leg around Rachel, manoeuvring her and himself so that her weight was now beneath him. She was sending him wild, the contrast between the white linen sheets and Rachel's slightly flushed skin was almost too much to bear.

She smiled at him, recognising the gulp travel down his throat that he had swallowed. For Eddie, Rachel's grin only reinforced the reality of the situation. This wasn't just one of his dreams, the love of his life was truly here with him, in flesh and blood. He absolutely adored her, and intended to transfer every ounce of that into his actions. Eddie returned the smile briefly, before allowing his lips to partake across her chest, cherishing the way her body arched towards him involuntary, and also the manner with which her nails grazed across the side of his neck. It was unmistakable, their need for each other was equal - Rachel needed Eddie, and Eddie needed Rachel. Certainly in far more ways than one.


	16. Together? Always

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Chapter 16: Together? Always

The sensation that Rachel woke up to brought her an indescribable amount of joy. Her head was cushioned against Eddie's shoulder and her leg was resting over his body securely. It wasn't a far cry from the position in which they had fallen asleep in the previous evening. Eddie's hand relaxed her even more as it ran up and down her back, and indicated to Rachel that he was now awake too. For the past ten minutes or so, Rachel had listened contently to the somewhat relaxing sound of his snores. He had been too content to wake, and quite frankly, Rachel was more than willing to stay wrapped up in the comfort of his embrace for the foreseeable future.

He planted a kiss atop of her head, and Rachel couldn't resist locking eyes with him for any longer. The pair shifted their positions, so that they were facing towards each other with heads on the pillows, bodies still firmly interlocked.

"Good morning," Rachel spoke, mirroring the grin which now covered Eddie's lips.

He leant forwards, emanating a soft kiss on her lips before pulling away just a fraction.

"Well that has to be the best good morning I've had."

Eddie chuckled at Rachel's response, tightening his grip on her slightly.

They simply basked in a comfortable silence for a few moments. Getting lost in one another's eyes seemed to be their new favourite form of communication. Eddie noticed as something in Rachel's expression differed. He could always sense when she had become lost in thought.

Eddie brushed his fingers across her cheekbone, alerting her to the reality, "Rachel?"

"Mmhm," she mumbled, still somewhat sleepily.

"Something's on your mind."

Rachel couldn't help but repeat her earlier smile, still overwhelmed with how brilliantly Eddie could second guess her every emotion.

"It's nothing too strenuous, don't worry."

With the look Rachel offered him, Eddie could tell that her response was genuine. He wasn't going to push her to explain, but from the way her lips were now parted slightly, Eddie gathered that opening up would just come relatively naturally.

"I was just thinking about how different things were for you and I this time last week. It kind of… just makes it feel all the more special to be here now with you."

Eddie smiled, scooping Rachel up into his arms properly now so that her head was resting against his chest.

"I'm a fool… we should have been at this point well before now."

Rachel pulled away slightly upon noting the brief sadness etched within Eddie's tone. This hadn't been her intention, to make him feel anymore guilty than he was evidently already feeling.

"Eddie… I don't want you blaming yourself for the past few months… and everything that happened. I was an idiot for pushing you away that first day."

A look flashed across Eddie's features which signalled to Rachel that he felt reassured by her words. Still though, she wanted to continue, to reaffirm everything previously discussed.

"Let's just try to focus on the future, and the here and now. We will deal with any obstacles as they come."

"Together?"

As Eddie questioned this, Rachel realised that it was her offering him all the support he deserved. She was glad of this, they were a team, a partnership. They had to lean on one another.

"Always."

Eddie seemed more than satisfied with this, and they shared a glittering beam before he leant forwards to capture Rachel's lips with his own. She found herself squealing with delight as Eddie altered their movements so that he was hovering above her. Their mouths connected once more, and Rachel anticipated all of the feelings that had now become so familiar when in close quarters with Eddie.

….

It was shortly after 11 before Rachel and Eddie had emerged from the hotel, with plans of sharing a late breakfast back at her house. They had texted Philip earlier to let him know they would be back around 11:30, after the boy had communicated with them that he had returned from Bolton's.

They were greeted with the smell of various foods as they entered Rachel's door, sharing equally curious glances.

"Philip?" Rachel called out as Eddie hovered closely behind her.

The boy in question appeared from the kitchen door, and Rachel and Eddie couldn't help but beam considering the sight they were met with. He had one of Rachel's aprons on, which made an amusing picture when worn by Philip. He looked slightly wary as his aunt and Eddie's gazes ran over his appearance, and then it dawned on him.

"Oh this?" he gestured towards the accessory, "couldn't find anything else, didn't fancy getting these clothes filthy."

Rachel and Eddie exchanged a brief smile now, beginning to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

"Are you alright?" Rachel questioned lightly as she took a step closer to Philip, "did you have a nice night at Bolton's?"

"Yeah… yeah it was good," he paused for a moment before gesturing between the two adults rather awkwardly, "did you two… have a good night away?"

Eddie nodded and smiled, now taking a step forwards so that he was next to Rachel, "yeah we did thanks Phil."

Rachel glanced at Eddie briefly, before returning her attentions to Philip, "yes, it was lovely."

The boy nodded as a brief silence passed, "are you cooking something?" Rachel asked.

He turned a very slight shade of pink now, gesturing his left arm back towards the kitchen, "yeah. Well erm… I just wanted to thank you guys. For everything. And you Rach, for letting me stay here and stuff."

The two adults locked eyes again, genuinely in awe at how thoughtful Philip's actions were. Philip turned back towards the kitchen now, signalling for them to follow.

"It's just some bacon… sausages… beans and toast."

Philip had three plates laid out on the table, and the food looked and smelled delicious.

"Oh Philip, thank you," Rachel said, placing a hand on her nephew's shoulder.

Eddie too portrayed his thanks, before following Philip and Rachel's lead to sit down at the table.

"This looks very nice," Eddie commented, receiving a smile from the boy.

"Hmm," Rachel nodded in agreement, "you'll be giving Eddie a run for his money," she laughed.

Eddie's mouth gaped open as all three occupants of the table began to chuckle. Philip turned his attention to the food, taking a bite out of his toast. Eddie meanwhile, nudged Rachel's leg with his own as they shared a look. It brought all the memories back from the previous evening and that morning. Both adults had to mentally shake themselves to pull back their thoughts and focus on the variety of breakfast items in front of them.

The trio exchanged light conversation whilst they ate, discussing anything and everything. Rachel was glad that her thoughts from yesterday had been emphasised. Philip was definitely a lot more happy within himself, overall he just seemed far more carefree. Which was why his next declaration came as a slight shock for Rachel and Eddie.

"Mum text me…" the boy waited as he saw concern spread across their faces. Rachel and Eddie shared a cautious glance, evidently wondering where this was going, "... last night."

For Rachel, the strange thing was that Philip didn't seem shaken up by it at all. This was certainly a contrasting action to that of Wednesday's last week. What changed this time? She hadn't realised that she was yet to speak, until she heard Eddie's voice. Rachel guessed that, as usual, he had predicted her thoughts and feelings towards this and wanted to put his foot forwards to support her.

"Saying what?"

Philip ran a hand through his hair as he considered if he had done the right thing by telling them. As predicted, Eddie had anticipated exactly how Rachel would be feeling, so discreetly placed a comforting hand on her knee. He just wanted to remind her that he was here no matter what happened. And just like what was said earlier, they would tackle everything together; always. Eddie was certainly glad that he had made this gesture, when he felt Rachel's hand spreading across the back of his own.

"It just said… _miss you Phil._"

Rachel felt bile rising in her throat. Surely Melissa's return was imminent. And what would that mean for her and Eddie?

Somehow, she found the courage to speak, glancing up from the edge of the table to face her nephew, "and did you reply?"

"No… I don't want any contact with her Rach. She made me feel… unwanted… and unloved. I can't forgive that."

Eddie turned over his hand now, so that his and Rachel's fingers could be interlinked. He hoped that she could glean some form of alleviation from that.

Rachel nodded, accepting Philip's response, and understanding his emotions entirely, "and are you okay Philip? Really?"

Philip nodded, "yeh… I'm fine, honestly. I've realised I just need to ignore her texts and calls. She's not worth it, Rach, not anymore."

Rachel seemed to shoulder this too. She was glad that Philip seemed sincerely unbothered by this, but was wary as to how long that would last.

Philip grabbed his last slice of toast, the only remaining food on his plate now and stood, "anyway, I'm off upstairs now. Got a bit of work to do."

Rachel and Eddie nodded, and with that he was gone.

"Rach?" Eddie questioned, lightly hooking a finger under her chin so that she would face him, "are you alright?"

"It's just strange… to see Philip so unaffected by it. I mean, taking into consideration his reaction from the other day. Do you think he's really okay?"

Eddie sighed, once more pondering over how angry he was with Melissa in his head. Rachel certainly didn't need this on top of everything else, and he was fairly certain that Mel was using her texts and calls to Philip as ammunition to hurt her sister.

"Yes I do, because I think he knows that you and I are here to give him support. Maybe he's not quite as jolly as he's letting on, but he is well aware that we are both here no matter what."

Rachel nodded, thankful that Eddie could see the logical side of a situation once more. Yet something else was playing on her mind. As Eddie had voiced earlier in the week, it was unlikely that Melissa had gotten together with somebody else so soon. So surely, that meant she was wanting to get to Rachel and Eddie. Perhaps to gain some sort of revenge? Rachel suddenly felt like she was suffocating. She only found some comfort as she felt Eddie leaning closer to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and beneath her legs. She initially wondered what he was doing, but soon realised that he was shifting her onto his lap, hoping to bring her every ounce of comfort and reassurance possible. She willingly leant into Eddie, resting her head against his chest as he tightened his grip on her, whispering utterances of support into her hair.

Even as his hand ran up and down her back, Rachel found her mind drifting back towards Melissa, and trepidation setting in once more. What Rachel and Eddie had was so special, and they were both aware that it was a love like no other. Nothing could compare to it. Rachel couldn't bear the thought of them being torn apart if Melissa was to return.

"What if she comes back Eddie?"

"Then we will tackle it together. Remember? Always, that's what we said."

Rachel nodded profusely, feeling her control come back as she found herself putting her entire trust in Eddie's words.

"I can't lose you Eddie. Not now," she commented, bringing an arm up to wrap it around his neck.

"You aren't going to Rachel. Not ever. I don't intend on letting you go."


	17. Respect

_Hello everyone, thank you for the reviews. _

_What with the whole coronavirus outbreak, I am currently off college until further notice. I will be doing online classes etc but it will probably mean I have more time to write... so hopefully updates will be daily for the foreseeable future. Hope you all stay safe in this difficult time. _

_Please enjoy this chapter... x_

Chapter 17: Respect

As the next few days ticked by, Rachel began to feel herself thinking less and less about the Melissa situation. Eddie's words from Sunday had fought down her initial trepidation and he had continuously expressed that in recent days. He had been able to sense whenever negative thoughts were playing with her mind. Rachel loved the way he gently broached the subject with her rather than pushing her for answers. With Eddie, she always felt willing to express her every thought and feeling. He was one of the very few people who had gotten behind Rachel's defence, and she didn't plan on letting him out any time soon.

Another thing which seemed to allow Rachel to feel relatively relaxed was the fact that Melissa hadn't left any more texts or phone calls. At least that's what Philip had been telling her. She knew it was a possibility that his mum had in fact been in touch once again, but Rachel tried not to dwell on that too much. She had no reason to not believe the boy, he had revealed other times when Melissa had been in contact - so why would that differ now?

Just as she was about to return her concentration to work life, she felt a weight on both of her shoulders. Decidedly hand shaped. Initially, Rachel felt her body tense. But she knew that warmth, and the shape of those hands, anywhere. Rachel tilted her head round slightly, and sure enough, was met with the sight of Eddie. How on earth did she not notice him walking in through the door? It just showed how utterly controlled Rachel felt by her thoughts. Thinking about it, Eddie's sudden appearance was another thing (besides the fact he could practically read her mind) that Rachel found almost baffling. Whenever Eddie was on her mind, or whenever she was missing him, he would appear. It was entirely a coincidence, yet Rachel wasn't about to complain.

"You look busy," Eddie commented, nodding towards the pile of paperwork on Rachel's desk.

"Hmm," she responded, swinging her chair round as Eddie took a slight step back so that she could face him, "it seems to have piled up over the past week."

Eddie laughed aloud, "and I wonder why that could be?"

"It couldn't possibly have something to do with a certain deputy."

Rachel stood up now, and their bodies and faces were inches away from one another.

"Maybe I should go then," Eddie began, inching his face that little bit closer to hers, "you won't be wanting any unnecessary distractions."

Even as he spoke the words, Eddie completely broke the gap between them now - kissing Rachel languidly before pulling away.

Almost instinctively, Rachel enveloped her arms around Eddie's neck, and pulled him towards her so that their mouths were almost touching, "hardly unnecessary."

Eddie smirked, equally delighted and surprised by her demeanour as she pressed into his waiting lips. It was unlike Rachel to mix their personal life with their professional one in such a way. Of course they had stolen moments in her office, but they were never catalysed by Rachel, and never quite as passionate as the kiss he was currently partaking in. Eddie was more than happy to follow along with this fervent edge, yet knew that it couldn't go much further in Rachel's office. With the way she pressed her body against his before pulling away, breathless, Eddie knew that this dance would be continued once they were entirely alone.

"Well, it's fair to say you've just made an afternoon teaching some of my worst behaved classes, away from you, even more unbearable. Not exactly going to be able to get you off my mind."

Rachel couldn't help but giggle, "I can relate."

"At least you don't have the likes of Bolton Smilie to deal with. I mean, I know he's turned a corner, but he still has to play class clown occasionally."

She raised her eyebrows, "I think that's something about Bolton that is not going to change, even if he is causing less problems for us."

"Even Philip is just as bad when in his company," Eddie commented as they moved towards the door, silently agreeing to go and get their lunch.

"Really?" Rachel furrowed her brow and scrunched up her nose as she turned round to face Eddie.

"Mmm, yesterday's comments consisted of 'maths is for saddos and geeks.'"

Rachel tried to suppress a smirk as she thought back to her comment about Eddie being a maths teacher on her first day. As she glanced across at him, she could tell from his facial expression that he was thinking exactly the same thing.

"I think everything's still very raw for him. He's still hurting but he won't show it. Playing up is probably his way of telling us."

"You could be onto something there."

"You know it's his birthday on Friday?" Rachel turned to Eddie as they made their way down the corridor.

Eddie raised his eyebrow, he knew that Rachel was about to continue but perhaps was unsure of herself. He wanted to give her the chance to do so. He had become an expert at knowing when something was on her mind.

"And you're worried Melissa will be on the scene?"

It was Rachel's turn to raise her eyebrows now. Eddie never failed to read her mind. Which was rather beneficial when sometimes she couldn't quite find the words.

"Rach… I think it would be worse… if she didn't send Philip a card or a text. Just as long as she doesn't show her face."

"That's what I was thinking. I'm… more worried that no greeting from Melissa will only hurt Philip more. I just don't want her turning up, like you say."

"I'd like to say she will definitely send a card, but this is Melissa we are talking about. She can be selfish at the best of times."

Eddie studied Rachel's features as they reached the canteen. He knew that the opinion he had just voiced wouldn't necessarily be the reassurance Rachel required. Yet as her mouth broke out into a slight smile, Eddie found that she maybe just needed a touch of level headedness with the reality laid out on the table. Even so, he saw the flicker of trepidation in her eyes as she chewed her bottom lip. A sure sign that there was more to this situation.

"There's something else."

"Sorry?" Rachel queried light heartedly.

Even as she spoke the word, she knew it was useless to pretend in front of Eddie. Rachel was well aware that he could see through her well built up facade.

"There's something else on your mind. Are you forgetting that I can read you like a book?"

Rachel couldn't help but smile as Eddie gave her a look, and the backs of his fingers brushed her own. In such a pupil based environment, they had to be extremely subtle, yet it was enough for Rachel to feel reassured and relaxed in Eddie's presence.

"No… I just…"

Rachel smiled again as Eddie completely stopped what he was doing. He was entirely focused on her and what she was saying. Rachel was about to continue when she clocked Philip, Bolton and co sat on a nearby table. Perhaps now wasn't the time.

"Look, it probably won't surprise you… but you're right. There is something else on my mind. So let's get back up to my office and you can see what a natural worrier I'm being."

The pair collected their sandwiches and began to walk out of the room. Once again Eddie allowed the backs of their hands to brush, and once out in the fairly empty corridor, he leant slightly further down to her ear.

"You've always been a natural worrier."

….

"So come on then," Eddie smiled as Rachel began to open her sandwich, "what is it?"

"It's not even a big deal. Just… an idea that I'm not so sure about," Eddie leant forward slightly as Rachel spoke, his own lunch forgotten for now, "Philip… he's asked to have a party round mine, Friday night."

Both of Eddie's eyebrows shot up slightly, it hadn't been what he was expecting. And he could certainly understand why the natural worrier within Rachel was coming into play. A party consisting of pupils at their head teacher's house, wasn't something to happen every day.

"What have you said to him so far?"

"That I would think about it. Eddie… I want him to have the birthday that he deserves. God knows... especially after everything he has been through…"

"But the idea of fifty plus pupils in your house doesn't exactly appeal to you?"

Rachel nodded, confirming Eddie's suggestion.

"Rachel, think about it like this. I know that the pupils here can be disruptive and all the rest of it. But something else I do know, is that they respect you. A hell of a lot. In particular Bolton and his little crew. I'm sure if one of us had a word he would make sure that everything stays under control."

Rachel looked up at him from where her gaze had been fixed on her sandwich. She offered a smile, no doubt centered towards Eddie's comment about respect. It all linked back to what he said the day her past was revealed. That she deserved everyone's respect. Rachel supposed that this was Eddie's way now of still expressing that.

"I think you might be onto something there, i.e. Bolton."

He shrugged a shoulder, "I think it could work. Maybe just threaten him with lifelong cooler confinement."

Rachel couldn't resist laughing now. She loved how Eddie would always bring out the best in her, even in her moments of confusion and worry. Perhaps his calming words had influenced her decision for Philip's party. His idea about Bolton was certainly a credible one. Following on from her conversation with the boy just over a week ago, Rachel was willing to put a significant amount of trust in him. Ultimately, Bolton was one of the main reasons why she hadn't ended up resigning. Maybe Eddie was right to say that the teenager had an awful amount of respect for her. She would just have to see how Friday played out.


	18. Perfect For Me

_Thank you to everyone for reading and for the reviews. Just a quick thank you to faeftvanity for your lovely message, I'm always here if you need a chat too. Also to Mrs Carmichael, hope you're looking after yourself as well :) _

_Hope you all enjoy this update... x_

Chapter 18: Perfect For Me

Rachel rolled her head back slightly as Eddie massaged her shoulders. He had picked up on her few complaints about them during the day, and had told her to sit back, relax and let him help. They were perched on the couch having enjoyed a takeaway, a bottle of wine and glasses in the midst of the takeaway cartons on the table. It was one of several nights Rachel and Eddie had spent together, just simply cherishing one another's company. This time would always be precious to them, because they knew how close they had gotten to losing one another; several times. Even though Rachel had experienced her worries about Melissa in recent days, she had no intention of letting Eddie go again. From their conversation earlier in the week, Rachel knew that he was looking at their relationship with a similar mindset. They were each other's forever.

"How have you managed to make my back feel better already?" she turned her head around to face Eddie slightly, "you've only been doing it for ten minutes."

"Apparently you're not the only one into black magic."

She grinned as a response. Rachel loved how Eddie kept making remarks about conversations they had enjoyed in the past. It just seemed to remind her how far they had come, and how long their relationship had been building up for. All in all, little snippets of memories from the time they had known one another, made being with Eddie now all the more special.

The sound of the front door opening alerted Rachel to the fact that she still hadn't told Philip that she was giving him the go ahead for his birthday party. His mood seemed to have been strengthening in recent days, yet Rachel had been constantly wondering if there were more to his thoughts when it came to Melissa's recent contact. She hoped that her allowing his get together on friday would accentuate the slight happiness that Philip was portraying. With this in mind, she made a move to stand, but Eddie's light grip on her wrist had Rachel stopping in her tracks.

"What?" she said as she huffed out a laugh, turning to see Eddie's puppy dog expression coming into full play.

"Just leave it for a bit," he commented, pulling on Rachel's arm slightly, "I need a bit more of your company after the torturous afternoon I've had."

Rachel laughed at how overly dramatic Eddie was being as she heard Philip's footsteps receding up the stairs. It seemed he always liked to have a little alone time when getting in from being out with friends, and Rachel was happy to go with that. She kind of decided that Philip deserved to have his own routine after having so much disruption with Melissa. Perhaps given it was the answer Philip was looking for, the conversation regarding his party could wait a little longer.

She turned so that she was fully facing Eddie now, before retaking her seat on the sofa and snuggling into his side. He willingly welcomed Rachel's embrace, wrapping one arm around her middle and intertwining their free hands.

"I was thinking," Eddie began as Rachel traced patterns across the back of his hand. He waited for her to lift her head up from his chest before continuing. In fact, Eddie had to catch his breath for a few moments after Rachel made eye contact with him. There was something about the way she looked at him that he couldn't quite describe. Rachel always left Eddie feeling enraptured by her presence.

A hand grazing across his jaw brought him back to the present. Eddie realised that he hadn't yet continued his sentence, and couldn't help but smile at the knowing expression on Rachel's face.

"On Friday night, why don't we go out and do something? Take the opportunity to have a bit of alone time."

Instantly, he saw the conflict spread across Rachel's features. Her expression was telling him that she would love to have an evening out with him, but was worried what the consequences of leaving for the entire night would be. Eddie knew that he would have a little bit of persuading to do.

"Honestly Eddie, I was planning on locking myself in my bedroom for the full evening. Even just to be in the house. I know we said about Bolton… but do you really think it's a good idea to leave god knows how many teenagers here unsupervised?"

Eddie couldn't help but emanate a slight chuckle at Rachel's plan of hiding in her bedroom. He was glad that as they locked eyes, she too saw the humorous side of it and began to laugh briefly.

"And do you really think Philip will want his auntie/head teacher at his party?"

Rachel sighed and gave him a look before responding, "possibly not."

"Look, if we talk to Bolton like we said, I really don't think things will get out of hand. As I said yesterday, he has far too much respect for you to let that happen. They all do."

"Do you really think so?"

Eddie moved his head forwards towards Rachel's so that their foreheads were now touching, "I know so."

Rachel smiled, and it was truly genuine. Eddie hoped that this meant he had succeeded in persuading her that everything would go to plan and that Friday would be the perfect time to spend with each other. For now, he was just happy to relieve a little of her stress.

"You'd better go and put Philip out of his misery. Tell him you're giving it the go-ahead," Eddie commented as he pulled his head back, still maintaining a close distance.

Rachel hummed in agreement, but didn't move anywhere just yet. Instead she caressed his cheek with her palm, making Eddie long to wrap her back up in his embrace. He shook himself mentally, she was only going to be upstairs for 10 minutes, if that. He genuinely couldn't go more than that amount of time without missing Rachel.

"Just let me do something first."

As Rachel spoke, Eddie was about to ask what, yet wasn't given the chance to. Both of her arms slid around his neck and her lips met with his for a brief but meaningful kiss. His lips were now otherwise occupied, and even if they weren't, his breath had been well and truly stolen away.

He pulled back after responding for a moment, "I take it that's a yes to going out on Friday."

Rachel stood up and walked towards the door, stopping as she reached it, "Mr Lawson, I would love to."

Eddie's mouth broke out into the largest of grins as Rachel walked away. With her, these feelings of excitement and adoration were constantly present. He guessed that they would forever be there. Perhaps these were the natural feelings when you find the one person in the world who is exactly right for you. Because that's exactly what Rachel was for him: perfect.


	19. What's in it For Me?

_Hello everyone, thank you for the reviews. _

_Please enjoy :) x_

Chapter 19: Happy Birthday Phil

"Bolton, just a quick word."

Rachel had already given Philip her instructions about no smoking indoors, and certainly no one upstairs. She also said no alcohol, but realistically knew that this rule would be broken.

Bolton and Paul had arrived at the house early, well before 7, which was the designated time. Rachel and Eddie didn't mind, they were just overly glad that Philip, Bolton and Paul were getting on so well now. Certainly in comparison to their relationship just over a week ago. In fact, Eddie decided to take it as an opportunity to follow through with their plans about getting Bolton and co on side.

"Sir," Bolton nodded in greeting as he followed Eddie out into the hallway.

"Miss Mason and I are relying on you to keep everything in order tonight."

The boy's expression changed slightly from an excitable one to a more serious one. This kind of confirmed to Eddie that he could be trusted and he did actually care.

"Yes Sir, course."

"He means it," Rachel said with just the hint of a smile as she emerged from the kitchen. Philip halted in the doorway, and Eddie noted that he was looking rather relieved. Presumably due to Bolton's newfound assistance. Seemingly the pupils of Waterloo Road were more likely to listen to Bolton than Philip.

"Alright, it'll all go cool," Bolton paused for a moment, glancing between his two teachers, "but what's in it for me?"

Eddie couldn't help but laugh as he thought back to the boy's comment about 'no more maths homework for the rest of the year' when he had persuaded Rachel not to resign. Perhaps it was just in his nature to get the best outcome from situations.

Rachel too thought back to a conversation, but one had with Eddie earlier that week. A particular comment stuck out in her brain and she intended to put it to good use now.

"Maybe you might just avoid spending the rest of your school life in the cooler?"

A sideways glance from Eddie told Rachel that he also remembered his joke made when reassuring Rachel about the party.

It was Bolton's turn to chuckle now, glancing at both Philip and Paul before returning his attention to his headteacher.

"One hundred percent worth it."

….

"Do you really think this is a good idea Eddie?"

After a slight deliberation, Eddie had managed to practically push Rachel out of the door. He could entirely understand why she was apprehensive, and he hoped to take her mind off those worries.

"You heard Bolton 'one hundred percent worth it'... he'll make sure everything is under control."

Rachel had to laugh at Eddie's impersonation of Bolton. There he was again, her calming influence. Eddie never failed to put a smile on her face.

"And do you think Philip is truly okay? What with Melissa not even sending a card… or a text. I just worry about him, Eddie."

"I know you do. And we will have a proper chat with him about it in the morning. I reckon he's too focused on tonight to think about it too much."

Rachel nodded, and found herself instantly agreeing with Eddie. Underneath all his positive emotions about his birthday, Philip probably was feeling hurt about his mum's lack of consideration. But they would cross that bridge in the morning, Rachel wanted her nephew to enjoy his evening without being ambushed with questions.

They stopped as they reached the side of Rachel's car. She also realised that Eddie hadn't yet told her where they were going. It was somewhat a recurring theme.

"So where is it that we are going Mr Lawson?"

He hesitated and smiled, for a moment Rachel wondered if he was going to taunt her with a surprise once more. Yet, just as he reached the passenger side of the car, Eddie looked back up at Rachel, flashing her a grin before continuing.

"We are going bowling."

Rachel's expression lit up instantly, and Eddie felt his own smile grow. He had been uncertain about his choice of activity for the evening, she had never mentioned liking bowling before, but Eddie thought he would give it a shot. After all, he was more than aware of her competitive streak, and was sure that she would relish the chance to go head to head with him.

Rachel paused, leaning on the car slightly, "and how good are you... on a scale of one to ten?"

"That's for me to know, and for you to find out," Eddie chuckled as he ducked to take a seat in the vehicle, with Rachel following suit.

She glanced across at him once they were seated, leaning across to place a hand on his thigh, "I'll let you in on a little secret," she paused, gazing over Eddie's expression for a moment, "I happen to be a bit of an expert at bowling. So it's likely that I'm going to be whipping your butt."

Rachel cherished the roar of laughter that emanated from Eddie as she turned to put on her seatbelt and put the key in the ignition.

"Well we'll see about that Mason."

As Rachel began to drive, Eddie took the opportunity to glance across at her properly. She looked amazingly carefree, and it caused his heart to soar. Because part of that was down to him, and he felt exactly the same. Rachel brought out the absolute best in him and he was glad he could bring that out in her too.

….

Philip was surprised that he actually heard his phone beep over the sound of the music. For once he had been feeling relaxed within himself. He guessed it was a mixture of the alcohol and being around Bolton's confident aura.

This was the main reason why he almost didn't check his mobile, but curiosity got the better of him. Making his excuses, Philip left the little group which he had adjoined to, and entered the nearby bathroom.

He had to blink several times upon seeing his mum's name on the screen. Philip didn't know what to think, he meant what he said when she first contacted him. He didn't want anything to do with Melissa. But she was his mum, and he almost craved that connection. Philip couldn't deny that he had been upset when she hadn't sent him a birthday greeting.

So entering his passcode, Philip began to read the text.

_Happy Birthday Phil! Sorry I can't be there. And sorry about your card too, it's in the post. I do miss you xx_

"_Sorry I can't be there," _Philip muttered under his breath. To her, it was as if everything was a normality. As if nothing had happened. Was she actually for real?

Philip let out a deep sigh as he left the bathroom. If he was going to enjoy the rest of his night, he would need another drink. He wasn't going to let his mum cause any more detriment to his life than she already had.


	20. First Priorities

_Thank you for the reviews._

_I meant to get this chapter out to you all yesterday... but it didn't turn out to be the most productive of days! _

_Please enjoy :) x_

Chapter 20: First Priorities

Eddie had discovered that he was rubbish at bowling. Perhaps it was when the ball went straight into the gutter, or when he realised how effortless it was for Rachel to get consistent strikes. He had wanted to make some sort of quip back at her as she made a comment about his bowling abilities. But his lips were soon otherwise occupied as Rachel pressed her own against them, and Eddie quite quickly found that he didn't care half as much about winning the game.

Rachel pulled away, seemingly breathless. Their foreheads pressed together, which was another gesture that had become one of their traits in the past week. From the gleeful expression on Rachel's face, Eddie guessed that she had no intention of cutting the game off here. Much to Eddie's dismay. He wasn't sure what was worse, losing to Rachel or enduring her teasing for another moment longer. Eddie decided that it had to be the latter.

She gave his arm a slight squeeze as she passed him, only letting go when he was out of reach. Eddie watched on - no doubt with a gigantic beam spread across his mouth - as Rachel picked up her next ball. Just as she reached the alley, she turned to face him. It was a thought constantly swimming around in Eddie's mind; but she truly was beautiful. Her appearance reminded him of that every second of every day.

"I still need to whip your butt, remember."

It was as if Rachel answered the slightly questioning look behind Eddie's eyes. The look which wondered why they had to continue the game of bowling when she could still be wrapped up in his embrace.

"I think you already have," Eddie huffed.

She swivelled round fully now, so that her body was entirely facing him. Eddie couldn't stay rooted to the spot any longer, and made a move towards Rachel. He kept a slight distance - if she was going to tease him, there was no way that she was getting off lightly.

Eddie couldn't help but smirk as she closed the gap between them even more. There were only several centimetres between them now. He wasn't complaining, neither was she.

"Can we just rewind a moment?"

Eddie chuckled at Rachel's line of questioning, he knew exactly what she was going to say. He knew her too well. Having said that, Rachel seemed to know him astonishingly well too.

"Mr Lawson, did you just admit that my bowling abilities are far superior to yours?"

"Just this once. Tell anyone, and I'll deny it."

Rachel's grin only broadened, "on a scale of one to ten how good are you at bowling?"

They shared a look and Eddie had to laugh once more when he realised that Rachel had asked him that exact question just a few hours previous. How did he reply? Eddie wasn't quite sure, but he seemed to remember making out that he was some kind of bowling specialist.

"I think you should be the judge of that. Seen as you're so observant."

Rachel felt a light blush on her cheeks as she laughed. Eddie's emphasis on _observant _was clear. Maybe when she was gazing at him earlier, she hadn't been all that subtle. This was probably his way of repaying her evening full of teasing. Rachel seemingly had a sixth sense when it came to Eddie's reactions to her. She had to admit, it was one of her favourite qualities.

"I wouldn't want to crush your ego."

Eddie's mouth gaped open as Rachel's lips curled into a ginormous smile.

"Oh now come on!" Eddie chuckled as he spoke, gaze firmly locked on Rachel, "I'm not that bad."

She quirked an eyebrow, offering Eddie one last grin before returning her attention to the game. At least that's what Rachel told herself, her mind was very much focused on the man standing behind her.

….

"Looks like our little pep talk with Bolton did the trick."

Rachel couldn't deny that she agreed with Eddie entirely. Her house was exactly as they left it, and extremely quiet. She almost felt guilty for expecting any less. Rachel was half anticipating having drunken students strewn across her home. Maybe she should listen to Eddie more often, maybe they did respect her.

"It certainly did," Rachel commented as she peered her head around the living room door, in search of Philip.

"Where is that boy?" Eddie wondered aloud, taking a look in the kitchen.

Rachel didn't want to bother him too much, and neither did Eddie. They just wanted to see how his evening had gone. On top of that, Rachel wanted to find out how he was coping. She wasn't entirely sure how well he was truly managing, what with Melissa not even sending a text on his birthday.

Little did she know.

"Philip?" Rachel called up the stairs, Eddie following slightly further behind.

Just as she reached the top of the stairs, Philip emerged from his bedroom. He plastered a smile on his face, but Rachel wasn't sure how genuine it was. Not very. Despite only living with him for a week, Rachel had gotten to know her nephew rather well. She could certainly sense when something wasn't quite right, or when something was upsetting him.

"Good night Phil?" Eddie wondered, obviously sensing Rachel's rambling thoughts.

"Yeh… it was... good."

Philip only sounded half truthful, and Rachel began to worry. What had happened?

"Are you sure love?"

She took a step closer to Philip as she asked this. Rachel was glad when he didn't flinch or pull away as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Honestly, it was good. Guess I'm just tired."

Rachel tilted her head to the side, she could see right through Philip's facade. Maybe because it was so similar to the one that she wore for pretty much everyone; with the exception of Eddie.

"Philip, has something happened?"

Rachel sensed Eddie's presence to her right, and she was more than glad of his support. She gathered that he was reading the boy in a similar way to her. Something had definitely occurred to result in this conflicted mood from Philip.

"Well… erm…"

Similarly to the previous week, Philip considered diverting from the truth. He could tell that his mum's contact upset Rachel, worried her. Philip had heard a conversation she had with Eddie in recent days. He hated how anxious his auntie was about Melissa ruining everything. Rachel didn't deserve that, she deserved happiness. Certainly after everything she had done for him. But she also deserved honesty, something that Philip had to give her now.

"Mum did text. A few hours ago."

Rachel couldn't stop herself from sharing a glance with Eddie. He was forever her calming influence. Rachel was sure that her legs would have collapsed beneath her without the hand that he placed on her elbow.

"Wishing you a happy birthday?" Rachel wondered further.

"Kind of yeh. It was weird… she basically acted as if nothing had happened. Said that a card was in the post."

"I see. And… how do you feel about it?"

Rachel didn't want to sound like a therapist, or seem like she was interrogating Philip. Yet she wanted to get to the bottom of his emotions, so that she could at least try and help him. The last thing Rachel wanted to do was fail him. Philip (along with Eddie) is her first priority, her first responsibility.

"At first it annoyed me, that she could be so chilled about it all. But she doesn't deserve my thoughts."

Rachel nodded, "I can certainly understand that."

Philip nodded too. Suddenly seeming rather awkward.

"Right, well... I'm off to bed."

"Glad you enjoyed your night though Philip," Rachel commented, followed by Eddie, "yeah, good night mate."

Rachel was about to turn her attention to Eddie when she heard her nephew's voice once more.

"And Rach?"

She turned back to face Philip, to see him standing in his bedroom doorway.

"Thanks for tonight. You too Eddie."

They responded and a second passed before Philip's door was tightly shut.

Eddie turned Rachel in his arms, instantly bringing her into an embrace. She sighed into his warm touch, unable to deny how brilliant it felt to be in his arms. How incredibly soothing it was. How did Eddie just always know exactly what she needed?

"It'll be alright you know."

Rachel tilted her head up from it's position on Eddie's chest to meet his eyes, "I hope so Eddie. I do worry about Philip… and the damage Melissa has the potential to cause."

He cupped her cheek, hoping to reassure her that little bit further, "it'll just be a one off, to say happy birthday. I doubt she'll be coming back any time soon. And if she does, you just remember everything we've spoken about. It's always going to be you and I."

Rachel smiled softly, feeling herself relaxing an inch more. Alternating her gaze between Eddie's eyes and lips, the prospect was all of a sudden too tempting to resist.

She pressed her lips against his, deep and meaningful before pulling away to voice the words she had been longing to voice all evening.

"I love you Eddie."

"And I love you."


	21. Greetings From Paris

_Thank you for the reviews. Hope you are all well. _

_Please enjoy this chapter... :) x_

Chapter 21: Greetings From Paris

Simultaneously to waking up, a flood of thoughts entered Rachel's mind. Whilst sleeping, she hadn't been able to escape the worries about the Philip and Melissa situation. Was Philip truly okay? What if this was all an appetiser for Melissa's return? Rachel shook herself internally, she couldn't ponder on negative outcomes or scenarios. Warmth passed through her as she realised that Eddie had taught her to have that mindset. Without him, she would have been coping far worse with the way that Melissa was intruding on everything. Seemingly, recognising the weight of Eddie's arm draped across her waist only reinforced this. In an instant Rachel's irrational musings were replaced with his kind and loving words. She turned in Eddie's arms slightly, hoping not to wake him, and buried her face into his chest.

Rachel attempted to eradicate all anxiousness from her brain. Yet it was then that a reminder seemed to hit her. Although it wasn't necessarily a dissenting one. Perhaps it would relieve a bit of the tension. Either that or send her mind into overdrive.

Philip had mentioned his mum saying a card was in the post. Rachel hoped that the card or stamp, or even a return address could give them some clue surrounding Melissa's whereabouts. She gathered that it would perhaps put her mind at ease. But maybe that was dependent on the location.

The soft feel of Eddie's lips brushing across her forehead had Rachel alerted to the fact that he was now awake. She looked up at him and they shared a warm smile. With that warm look, almost all of the trepidation Rachel felt had vanished. Despite the uncertainty, Eddie was here with her. And she was wrapped up in his arms.

"The card from Melissa, that Philip mentioned. I'm going to go and check if it has been posted."

Eddie moved his hand around so that he could gently rub Rachel's upper arm. His tender grip on her didn't loosen. He was worried about her. Everything was obviously still playing on her mind if Melissa was her first thought when waking up.

"Are you okay Rachel?"

There was a silence after Eddie spoke. Rachel's eyes remained on his and he scanned her features. Anything to work out what she was currently feeling. She looked slightly taken aback by his questioning. Maybe Rachel had just been anticipating an okay. Eddie watched as her eyes softened just before she answered. He hoped that she was going to open up to him, like she had done many times in the past week or so.

"The whole thing just seems… odd. It's not like Melissa to be considerate. The Melissa I know wouldn't have sent Philip a text yesterday… and certainly not a card. She has to be planning something."

Eddie sighed. He couldn't deny it, what Rachel had said was something that had also been on his mind. It was utterly out of character for Melissa to think of others without a hint of malicious intent. And why did she act as if everything was normal in the text?

Despite this apprehension, Eddie knew that he couldn't let it show to Rachel. It would only panic her further. All in all though, this would probably be difficult when she could read him just as well as he could read her.

"Maybe she felt guilty. To leave Philip like that and then not even text on his birthday."

Rachel shook her head, "I don't think so Eddie. I… I want to think that, but with what I know about Melissa… it… it doesn't make sense."

"Maybe not. Maybe not right now. But we will figure it out Rachel, we always do."

She brushed her fingers across his jawline clumsily, before stretching up to plant a sweet kiss on his lips. Rachel knew that this conversation wasn't over, but Eddie had reassured her once again.

Eddie's loving touches and calming words seemed far too attractive to venture downstairs just yet. Checking the time to see that it was 7:30, and with it being a Saturday, Rachel didn't see why they couldn't spend another thirty minutes or so wrapped in one another's embrace. Well, maybe to sooth her racing thoughts about Philip's birthday card. But in short, Eddie seemed to do that for her, and she was immensely grateful.

Only when Rachel heard Philip's light footsteps on the landing did she part from Eddie's arms. She didn't want Philip to have to open the card alone, if it had been posted. She knew that he would only sit and worry about it, and how he was going to mention it to her. Eddie followed closely behind Rachel, with a supportive hand on the small of her back.

"You didn't have to get up yet you know," Rachel turned with a smile, to be met with a look of adoration from Eddie that had her breath catching, "wouldn't want to drag you out of bed on a Saturday. I do enough of that on weekdays."

They both laughed now, stopping as they reached the top of the stairs, "what and not have you to cuddle into? Never," he paused for a moment to take in Rachel's expression, "plus… I want to be there, to support you, if this card has been posted"

All laughter ceased for a moment, as their chuckles returned to smiles. Rachel rubbed a thumb gently across Eddie's cheek, and leant up to repeat her earlier gesture of a tender kiss. Barely giving him a chance to respond, Rachel turned and began her journey down the stairs. All with the knowledge and reassurance that Eddie was closely behind her.

The second part of Rachel's sentence had gotten Eddie's mind working. _I do enough of that on weekdays. _It all just seemed so natural for them to be sharing a home together, even when they weren't officially living together. Eddie seemed to recall only going to his house once or twice at a push in the past twelve days or so. Even then, it had only been to pick up post or some fresh clothes. Everything seemed so perfect that it was almost subconscious for them to spend practically every moment together.

Maybe once the uncertainty with Melissa had settled down, Eddie would broach the subject of moving in together with Rachel. He didn't want to push her. Eddie couldn't risk pushing her away like he idiotically did at the beginning of the school year. He vowed to never be so foolish again. Yet his gut instinct was telling him that Rachel wanted this too, and just maybe… she was ready to take that next step.

Eddie had been so consumed by his own thoughts that it hadn't registered that Philip and Rachel were exchanging words. At least not until Rachel placed a hand on his forearm.

"Eddie have you seen this?" Rachel asked once she had his attention, bringing what looked like a card closer to him so that he could hold it.

"Greetings from Paris? She can't be serious…" Eddie opened the card as a photograph fell out onto the floor.

"Oh she's deadly serious," Rachel commented, crouching down to pick up the picture and examine it.

The Eiffel Tower was in the distance, with Melissa…

"Hang on a minute. That's not just Melissa in the photo," Eddie said, stepping closer to Rachel and Philip.

"You're right. It isn't… but who on earth is that?" Rachel questioned, glancing between both Philip and Eddie.

The two people were quite a distance away, so it was fairly hard to get a proper look at the second person's face. She could just about make out the person's dark hair and the shape of their face. Rachel was certain they were male. Then it hit her. Maybe Melissa hadn't been using her 'new man' as a provocation.

"Her new man," Philip spoke, mirroring Rachel's thought exactly.

Exasperated, she glanced up at Eddie. His expression was just as baffled as her own. Rachel could almost instantly feel the anger setting in. Why was it that Melissa was still able to affect her in this way? How could she interfere in her life so meticulously?

This card was supposed to put Rachel's mind at ease, but it had done quite the opposite. She didn't really know what she had been thinking, her life could never be this perfect for more than a week. Yet as Eddie draped an arm across her shoulders, Rachel allowed a part of herself to believe that everything would turn out just fine. Everything would always be okay with Eddie by her side. She intended to have him in her life forever, that wasn't something that she would entitle Melissa to meddle with.


	22. You Always Know

_Thank you to everyone for the reviews. _

_Please enjoy this chapter :) x_

Chapter 22: You Always Know

"Do you think she's in Paris for good?"

It was the first thing Philip had said since the 'new man' comment. Rachel had been casting him worried glances across the table. He hadn't touched his breakfast, and had been staring into space for a good ten minutes. If he was okay before, he certainly wasn't okay now.

Rachel hesitated before answering, and didn't feel able to put the words together until she felt a supportive hand on her knee. Eddie - he just always knew.

Perhaps Rachel was finding it so hard to answer her nephew's question because she wanted him to be happy, content with life. And she didn't know which response would bring him that closure - _yes I think she will probably long for a fresh start _or _no… I think she will long for some sort of revenge on me. _

"Honestly Philip… I don't know. I never have done with your mother," she watched as Philip glanced down, breaking his gaze with her, "but what I do know Philip… is I'm going to be here no matter what she does. Okay?"

He looked back up, and Rachel was somewhat relieved to see that at least some of the tension had leaked out of his features.

"Yeah… um I know Rach," Philip fumbled, "it's just this whole new man stuff is really freaking me out. I didn't think she was serious."

"Nor did I. I erm… kind of presumed that it was her way of provoking us," Rachel admitted as she glanced at Eddie briefly.

Philip scoffed, "yep. Does sound like something she would do. I never could stop her from being such a cow."

Rachel was taken aback at Philip's insult towards Melissa. She felt as if she should reprimand him for it, but he was hurting, wasn't he? Rachel's thoughts continued to swim around in her brain before she realised that she hadn't actually said anything at all. Eddie seemed to sense this, he always did.

"Phil mate, we both understand that you're hurting right now, and angry at your mother. Rach and I are angry with her too. But don't talk about her, or anyone like that."

"Yeah… um, sorry," Philip mumbled as he fixed his attention on the cornflakes in front of him rather than the worried glances Rachel and Eddie were currently exchanging.

Philip wanted to speak, to break the silence. He, or more specifically his mum, had imposed enough strain on Rachel's life in recent weeks. But Philip couldn't. He felt foolish, by all accounts. Just the night before, after thinking over Melissa's text, he allowed a part of him to accept that maybe she was trying for once. She wasn't, of course she wasn't. How could she possibly care about him when she was swanning around Paris with her new man? And that was another thing - there was something about the man he recognised. He just couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"If mum comes back…" Philip eventually found the ability to speak as a new thought occurred to him, "can I still… stay here… with you guys?"

Rachel shifted out of her seat now, moving around the table to sit next to her nephew. She placed a hand on his arm, willing the boy to look at her. Rachel felt torn in two upon seeing the pained expression on his face. She hoped that her response to his question would alleviate some of that.

"Philip, _of course _you can. I'm not going to make you go back with your mum, if she does return. Not if you don't want to."

He shook his head, "I don't Rach. I couldn't live with her again, not after this."

Eddie watched on from across the table. His heart was warming upon seeing the exchange between Philip and Rachel. As she put an arm around him, Philip began to look considerably relaxed. It was a sure sign that he had faith in Rachel's words. As much as Eddie's mind was centered upon Philip, he couldn't help the way he focused on the boy's particular words. _Can I still stay here with you guys. _It was just another example of how natural it was for himself and Rachel to be living under the same roof. He smiled warmly as Rachel caught his eye. No matter the situation, Eddie decided it was necessary to find some time to have that conversation with her. Perhaps the idea would do all three of them some good, if it went to plan.

It wasn't until Sunday evening that Eddie was presented with an opportunity. Philip was spending his night getting homework done, whilst he and Rachel were sitting together on the sofa. The way her head lulled against his chest as his arm wrapped around her waist, just reinforced how right this all felt. It was that exact thought which gave Eddie the encouragement to broach the topic.

"Rachel?"

She sat up slightly upon hearing his voice, turning to smile at him as a response.

"I've just been thinking, about how much time we've spent together over the past week or so. Maybe more significantly, the little time I've spent at my place."

Eddie watched as Rachel's lips curled upwards. It gave him more faith that he had read her in the right way. Still, he hesitated, not wanting to in any way jeopardise the love they had been building up for so long now.

"And you were thinking we should move in together for good?"

Rachel sensed Eddie's uncertainty, and was more than happy to help him out. She was just finding it rather difficult to conceal the grin that was threatening to break out.

"Well… yes, I mean, if you want to."

There was a nervous edge to his tone, and Rachel's heart soared. She briefly flashed back to when he had asked her out for a drink on the last day of term. They had both been incredibly nervous then too. Perhaps some things never changed. Rachel was just glad that the things she wanted to alter, had.

Giving in to temptation, Rachel surged forwards, wrapping her arms around Eddie's neck before kissing him sweetly.

"Of course I want to. You soppy sod."

And just like that, they segued into discussing plans of moving in together. Whether he would move to hers or she would move to his. They came to the idea that Philip had been through enough upheaval, and they had been perfectly content at Rachel's for almost two weeks now. Rachel mentioned about broaching the subject to Philip, and with a case of suitable timing, the boy himself walked into the living room.

Both adults were glad to see that the touch of relaxation they had seen in him on Saturday morning remained. Rachel just hoped at the back of her mind that Melissa wasn't planning on putting that to the test.

"I think it's a great idea," Philip commented as he sat down adjacent to the couple.

Rachel and Eddie exchanged a glance, admittedly confused. They hadn't yet mentioned their new plans.

Philip chuckled at their flabbergasted expressions, "I was in the kitchen, getting a drink," he gestured, "I heard you guys talking. About you know, Eddie moving in."

Rachel smiled, "right… I see."

Eddie concluded to broach the question that was no doubt floating around in Rachel's mind, "and are you sure you're alright with it Philip?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

Both Rachel and Eddie smiled delightfully. The look on Philip's face told it all: he meant that, he was truly happy for Eddie to move in. Rachel too hoped that this would also do her nephew some good. She guessed that it would, what he needed right now was support, and stability. She and Eddie were more than willing to give him that whether Melissa made an appearance or not.

….

"New pupil," Steph said as she entered Rachel's office the following day.

Sure enough, a girl who looked about eleven or twelve was hovering in the doorway next to the French teacher. Rachel was quite baffled, she most certainly couldn't remember the mention of any new students whatsoever.

"I'm sorry Steph, I'm not quite sure…"

"I saw this one milling around outside my classroom," the other woman said, gesturing towards the girl, "no uniform on. So I thought I'd investigate, turns out her guardian dropped her off, left her to her own devices."

Rachel stepped closer to Steph now, noticing just how apprehensive and reluctant the young girl looked.

"Thank you Steph. I will deal with it from here."

Just like that she turned and left, leaving Rachel's attention solely focused on this new pupil.

"And what's your name?" she questioned lightly, along with a smile in hopes of reassuring the girl.

"Mollie."

"Your surname?" Rachel said, preparing to call for Joyce to collect the relevant forms.

Mollie glanced down, "don't have one."

"I'm sorry… you don't have a surname?" Rachel questioned, tilting her head to the side.

"Well I do. Just don't want to use it. My mum left when I was young. And I've never even met my dad. Don't see why I should have to."

Rachel was left feeling rather baffled. She made a mental note to keep an eye on Mollie, perhaps she was having some significant struggles at home. Rachel most definitely longed to help with that. For now though, she didn't want to overwhelm the girl, so merely nodded her head and told her to take a seat on the sofas.

"Joyce?" Rachel questioned as she walked out into the antechamber, "could you get Mr Lawson up here please? I believe he's got a free lesson. And check your emails, see if you've had any information regarding a new pupil… Mollie."

Joyce responded before busying herself for a few moments, but it wasn't long after that when she was calling Rachel back.

"I've received one email… from a Mrs Tate. Explaining that she is Mollie's legal guardian, and was wondering if there are any places for her at Waterloo Road."

Rachel nodded, drinking in the information, "and does she mention a surname? For Mollie?"

"Yes… erm yes she does. It's Ryan… Mollie Ryan."


	23. Heart of Gold

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_Please enjoy this chapter x_

Chapter 23: Heart of Gold

"Do you not think it could be a coincidence?" Eddie whispered to Rachel as they stood outside her office.

"Oh Eddie," she glanced at him, "I highly doubt it."

Eddie sighed, and placed a hand on her shoulder. All he wanted to do was to wrap her up in her arms, convince her that everything was going to be alright in the way that works best. Yet Joyce was sitting at her desk just a metre or so away. And he was aware that anyone could walk into the room at any moment, so settled for this more discreet form of comfort.

"So do I Rach. But we can't be sure, can we? We need to be sure before we start jumping to conclusions."

Rachel nodded, agreeing with him entirely. Eddie's words and supportive hand had calmed her instantly. She angled her body towards him slightly more, with hopes of showing him just that.

"In the next hour or so, we should have been sent all the necessary safeguarding forms, from her legal guardian. The information about Mollie's...birth parents should be on there."

Eddie smiled softly. He was unable to hold back just how proud he was of Rachel for composing herself within a matter of minutes. He really didn't know how she did it, day in day out. Bringing his free hand up to Rachel's other shoulder, he gently turned her to face him. He squeezed her shoulders lightly, hoping to show that pride he had felt just moments ago.

"It'll be okay Rachel."

She nodded, smiling her thanks.

Eddie dropped his hands, allowing one of them to covertly reach for her hand to rub the back of it gently.

Rachel glanced up at him, and he could see every ounce of feeling swimming in her eyes. Seeing as he had to reign in his emotions slightly whilst at work, Eddie settled for mouthing _I love you_. He received the desired effect - Rachel suppressed a giggle before reciprocating his action.

He didn't take his eyes off of her until she was back in her office. Just as much as Eddie was reassuring her, he couldn't stop his own mind from running into overdrive. It was Rachel who was at the forefront of it. He cared about her deeply, and it utterly pained him to see her go through such tiresome times. He was worried about her. Others may not be able to see past her facade, but he could. Expertly. And this was certainly affecting her more than she was letting on. She deserved the absolute world, and it almost angered Eddie that she wasn't getting exactly that.

….

Rachel didn't know if her mind was playing tricks on her or not. It seemed that now the possibility of Melissa being Mollie's mother was in her mind, she was aware of how similar they were. From the girl's eyes down to her mannerisms, she was every inch of an eleven year old Melissa. It unnerved Rachel, to think that this young girl could be her niece. Rachel had spent the past thirteen days convincing herself to not get involved in Mel's life again. Yet here she was. It seemed her life couldn't escape Melissa's world and all the consequences that came with it. Still with these thoughts came a pang of guilt. Despite everything, despite her selfishness and heartlessness, Melissa was her sister. The question was, would Melissa also be feeling this way if the tables were turned?

Realising that she had been silent for too long, Rachel gathered up Mollie's timetable. The girl herself remained seated on the sofa, anxiously biting her nails and tapping her foot.

Rachel knew that she couldn't let slip any of her personal thoughts to this new pupil. She had to treat her like any other student at Waterloo Road. Besides, Rachel shook herself mentally, she didn't even know if this was Melissa's daughter for sure. Not yet.

"Right, Mollie," the girl looked up as Rachel spoke. She looked slightly less nervous now, but the apprehensive movements remained, "I have your timetables here. Looks like you've got… French now, with Miss Haydock, the lady who brought you up here earlier."

Mollie merely nodded, with Rachel smiling in return. They began to make their way to the french classroom after Rachel realised the girl wouldn't have a clue how to get there. It seemed that the shock of this whole situation was having a significant impact on her.

"I'm not used to this. School."

Rachel was somewhat surprised at Mollie's sudden stab at conversation, given that so far, their walk to the classroom had mainly consisted of silence.

"Oh, really? Why's that?"

She brought Mollie to a halt a few metres away from her destination. Rachel sensed that the girl was perhaps willing to open up to her. Seemingly, this was a miracle, after what? Thirty minutes in her company. If she was Melissa's daughter, she certainly wasn't anything like her auntie in that respect.

"Julie my… adopted mum, she's always home schooled me."

Rachel smiled slightly, leaning down an inch so that she could be heard better by Mollie.

"Well, I can assure you Mollie… that, at Waterloo Road, we will make you feel as welcome as possible."

The girl nodded and smiled at her headteacher, before making a move to the classroom.

"If you need anything Mollie, or if you have any questions. Just pop and see me, alright?"

"Thanks erm… miss?"

"Mason, miss Mason."

Sighing as she watched Mollie walk away, Rachel concluded that she couldn't quite believe this was happening. She just hoped that the information regarding Mollie was now available. Rachel wasn't sure how much more she could take of the unknown.

….

Rachel felt sick. She didn't know how she was supposed to feel about the sheet of paper sitting on her desk. Mollie _was _Melissa's daughter. She was _her niece._ Rachel couldn't quite grasp the concept. What caused Melissa to leave when her daughter was young? Was Philip aware of all this?

Too many questions and very little answers were circulating in Rachel's brain. But one other phenomenon seemed to spring to mind as Rachel read over the information once more. There was no mention of a father. Who was Mollie's dad? Did she share the same father as Philip? It was unlikely, given the five year age gap and Melissa's break up from Philip's father when he was a baby. None of this made sense.

As Rachel collapsed her head into her hands, her mind only drifted to one person. Eddie, the only person who seemed able to calm her irrational thoughts in a situation such as this one. Yet he was teaching, and she couldn't disturb his lesson. It was frankly unnecessary and…

"Eddie?"

As Rachel's office door swung open, she was overwhelmed to see the very man standing in front of her desk.

She stood up to be level with him, "you have a lesson don't you?"

"Yes but… Hayley is covering it. I couldn't stop thinking about everything Rachel. I had to be here, to support you."

Despite the circumstances, Rachel felt an unbelievable swell of emotion and love for Eddie in that moment. It was just a mark of how incredible he was, and how he truly could calm her erratic thoughts.

She walked around the desk and towards the sofas, sitting down and gesturing for Eddie to follow. He did, and it wasn't long before Rachel was explaining everything and showing him the notes from Mollie's file. Her own words made Rachel shiver. It was as if saying it out loud made it all the more real.

Eddie instantly wrapped his arms around her, shifting his weight so that they were more comfortable. Rachel was entirely grateful that this was his first gesture. She needed comfort first and foremost. It was undoubtedly certain that Eddie could give that to her.

He planted a kiss into her hair before beginning to speak.

"What about Philip, do you think he knows about this?"

Rachel shrugged, "I guess we are going to find out. We have to approach the subject with him, either way. We can't have him questioning Mollie's surname, just as we did earlier."

"Mollie said that her mum… Melissa," Rachel continued, glancing up at Eddie, "left when she was young. Too young to remember by the sounds of it. I don't understand how she could do that Eddie… especially after everything we went through as children."

Eddie sighed, "neither do I. But after her upping and leaving Philip, it doesn't come as the greatest surprise to me."

"Melissa never did learn from her mistakes."

Eddie nodded, planting another kiss in Rachel's hair, "looks like she didn't follow your example with a heart of gold."

Rachel smiled sincerely now as she looked up at Eddie. Brushing his cheek with her fingers, she allowed him to tilt his head and kiss her palm lightly before she spoke.

"You're the one with the heart of gold, remember."

He chuckled in response, and with that sound of pure joy, Rachel allowed herself to believe for just one moment that everything would be okay.


	24. Something Familiar

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_Hope everyone is keeping safe. _

_Please enjoy :) x_

Chapter 24: Something Familiar

Philip couldn't believe what he was hearing. At Waterloo Road, news spread fast, and word of the new girl in year seven quickly got around. It was mainly due to the fact that Bolton had approached him, asking if this new girl was a relation of his. Surely this just had to be one of Bolton's pranks?

"What did you say her name is?"

"Can't really remember if I'm honest. Mollie… Millie. Summit like that. Look, all I know is, her last name's Ryan."

Philip froze. _Mollie. _Now if her name was Mollie, this was far from a half hearted joke.

"Look I've… gotta go lads. See you later yeah?"

He said his goodbyes to Bolton and Paul, leaving them both utterly baffled. They had only been having a laugh with Philip, they didn't actually think that he was related to this new girl. But having seen his reaction, maybe it was a possibility.

Paul turned to Bolton and shrugged. For once they didn't want to pry, they would find out sooner or later. Philip was their mate now anyway, and Bolton wasn't about to disappoint Miss Mason again. Not after everything she had done for him.

Philip was pretty much breathless by the time he reached Rachel's office. He had dodged the masses, receiving several grunts and complaints after knocking into the majority of people in the corridors. He didn't care. He didn't know if Rachel had worked it out yet, if she had looked into Mollie. But Philip knew that she and Eddie would be asking him about it sooner or later. It was better to just tell them the truth, this wasn't his fault. It was his mum's. Philip sighed, yet again, here he was, cleaning up his mother's mess.

"Rach, I need to talk to you," Philip entered the room, not bothering to knock.

She was sitting at her desk eating lunch, with Eddie sitting at a chair adjacent. Somehow, Eddie being there allowed Philip to feel slightly relieved. If Rachel wasn't already aware of the situation, she was going to be in shock. Eddie was certainly more capable of giving comfort than he was.

Yet from the way the two adults shared a glance, Philip made a guess that Mollie Ryan was already common knowledge.

"Okay..." Rachel began warily, "sit down then Philip," she commented, offering him an uncertain smile.

"Thing is… erm. This new year seven girl, Mollie…"

Philip was about to continue when he became witness to the expression on Rachel's face. It was identical to the one she had given Eddie just moments ago. Yes, she knew.

"Oh, you know don't you?"

Philip watched as Rachel hesitated, her mouth opening and closing. She was obviously searching for the right words.

"We do Phil, yeah," Eddie spoke for her.

"How long have you known about this Philip?"

Philip could sense the empathy in his auntie's tone, and once again found himself feeling guilty that she had been dragged into all of this. Rachel remained to care about him first and foremost, even when this was causing her a great deal of turmoil. Philip doubted that he could ever repay her for all of her support. Particularly now and in recent weeks.

So he took a deep breath and prepared himself to reveal all. This was a secret he had held close to his heart for nearly twelve years. Maybe it would be a relief to finally let it go.

"I've always known… well, since Mollie was born. Obviously I was only five, but I remember bits of what happened."

"Philip… I'm so sorry that you've had to keep this a secret all this time. I can't imagine how difficult that must have been for you."

Philip smiled at Rachel before continuing. He hoped that the gesture looked just as genuine as he longed it to be.

"She was seeing this bloke. I guess he must be Mollie's dad. I… I can't remember his name. Just that mum, she… she would always leave me in the house, sometimes overnight, to go see him."

….

A giant lump formed in Rachel's throat as Philip began to explain. Just when she thought that Melissa couldn't get any more inconsiderate. Five years old, that was Philip's age when all this was going on. How could a mother put her own son through that? Rachel had to hold back tears upon thinking that this mother was her sister. This wasn't just a story or problem that she was being told by a pupil. One that Rachel could solve. This had happened to her nephew, this was her sister's wrongdoing. Rachel wasn't sure if she could fix this when it was happening so close to home.

She had taken her eyes away from Philip. The worried look on his face was only making Rachel want to break down more. But she had to listen to him further, to find out what else he was aware of. As much as Rachel longed for this not to be her problem. As much as she wished she could just brush it under the carpet, it had become her problem. She had no choice but to clear up Melissa's mess once more and deal with the consequences.

"He barely ever came over to our house," Philip continued as Rachel looked back up at him, "but when he did… he erm…"

Rachel could see the tears beginning to build up in her nephew's eyes. She couldn't face this anymore. Gratefully taking the box of tissues that Eddie passed to her, Rachel made a move towards the other side of the desk. She crouched down to Philip's level and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. It came as a surprise when the boy leant forwards slightly and began to cry on her shoulder. It was somewhat rare for Philip to show such emotion in front of her. For Rachel, that's what made this whole situation even more heartbreaking and difficult to watch unfold. As she rubbed a hand across his upper back, the tears began to subside. Now Eddie stood too, coming round to place a hand on Philip's shoulder.

"It'll be alright Philip. You, me and Rachel will sort this."

The boy nodded briefly, and Rachel adjusted her gaze to Eddie so that she could give him a watery smile.

Philip sat up and wiped his tears away shortly after this. Rachel guessed that he was preparing to resume where he left off. She didn't know if she could take whatever he was about to say. With the way that Philip had cried so intensely, it was unlikely to be anything but earth shattering.

….

Since he had begun speaking, Philip knew this was the bit he would struggle to say. He tried to think about it as little as possible. So saying it aloud, would be another matter entirely.

Taking a shaky breath, Philip took comfort in the caring way that both Eddie and Rachel were looking at him. He trusted that they were always going to be there to support him. Maybe that's what spurred Philip on to just say it.

"He used to hit me. For no reason. If I was there, and mum wasn't in the room, then I would get it."

Philip sensed the tension in the room. He could just tell the way both adults had frozen at his words.

"Oh, Philip," Rachel managed to comment as she brought a hand up to her mouth.

"Mum she… either didn't know, or she did and chose not to say anything. Maybe it was just another time she put her own happiness before everyone else's."

"Philip I… your mother can be extremely selfish. And yet I don't think even she would do something so horrific."

Rachel's words seemed to be her true thoughts, but Philip saw the uncertainty in her eyes. He saw just how much she wanted to make this all go away for him. That along with the way her gaze averted to Eddie briefly. Philip guessed that even just a tiny part of his aunt believed that Melissa was in fact capable of such a thing.

"I don't remember the time scale… or anything like that. But I just remember a baby being there. Mum said she was called Mollie. The man visited less then. And then I don't think we ever saw him again."

Philip could see just how much Rachel wanted to ask about Mollie. _Why did Melissa abandon her? _Yet Philip wasn't sure if he knew the answer to that. It was a question he had been asking himself in recent years.

"Like I said. I don't remember it all. But one day Mollie just disappeared. I don't know why, and I think she was still a baby."

Rachel tilted her head to the side, offering Philip a smile. By now Eddie had busied himself making three coffees. As the drinks were passed across, Philip was more than glad for the amount of sugar Eddie had put in.

"Don't beat yourself up about not being able to remember Phil," Eddie spoke as he sat back in a chair.

"Eddie's right. I don't want you to feel like that Philip."

Philip attempted to laugh, but was acutely aware of how false it sounded, "I'll try not to."

Philip allowed himself to relax again for the first time since hearing of Mollie. The ordeal was far from over. Himself, Eddie and Rachel had a long way to go. But what mattered was that they'd be doing it together. Philip wouldn't be without someone by his side, like he had been so many times in the past.

It wasn't until much later that day, as Philip was readying himself for bed that he caught sight of the birthday card from his mum. He couldn't resist looking at it again, no matter how much he wanted to. As Philip opened it, he was predictably met with the photo of his mother and her new bloke.

And then it hit him. Maybe this new man wasn't so new after all.

The features were unclear on the man's face, yet there was something about him. Philip hadn't been able to put his finger on it upon seeing the picture for the first time. But now, having revisited part of his childhood, there was something oddly familiar about this figure's dark hair and tall build. Philip just hoped for everyone's sakes that this wasn't the man he thought it was. Mollie's father.


	25. More Questions Than Answers

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_Hope you enjoy this chapter... _

Chapter 25: More Questions than Answers

Rachel smiled as she sensed Eddie approach her from behind. She was standing at the sink, attempting to focus her attention on washing up pots from their evening meal rather than how Philip must be feeling upstairs. She wasn't succeeding. Yet when Eddie wrapped his arms around her waist, Rachel allowed her body to relax into his embrace. Even if her mind wasn't.

He pressed a warm kiss to the side of her neck. Rachel closed her eyes, letting her head roll back on to his shoulder. Eddie's hands trailed the length of her arms, until he reached her own and placed down the bowl she was holding. Rachel knew what he was doing. Eddie wanted to look after her and he wanted to alleviate her worries.

So just like that she let him. And soon found that they were sat curled up together on the sofa. Rachel's mind may have still been distracted, but it was far easier to let her thoughts slip away with Eddie's soothing presence.

"Talk to me."

The three words were muttered by Eddie into the air. Those words held so much love and care, Rachel thought that her heart might explode. She had been toying with the idea of letting her thoughts spill out to Eddie anyway. This and Eddie's tone just reinforced her longing to do just that.

"Before I left home, in my late teens… my father...he used to hit me, quite regularly. He never laid a finger on Melissa though. She was fifteen. I remember this one time the police got involved. I'll never forget the way her and my mother sat there and denied it all, point blank. I didn't blame Melissa at the time, of course I didn't. She was only a young girl herself for goodness sake. But now… hearing everything that happened with Philip. Despite what I said to him Eddie… I… I can't help thinking that Philip's right. She was aware of what was going on, but chose not to say anything, or act on it. For her own good."

Eddie tightened his grip on Rachel slightly as soon as she began speaking. Just to show her that he was there, that he loved her. And that he would always be there to support her.

"It astounds me that you can go through all that and still be the woman you are today," Eddie said, planting a kiss atop of her head.

It hadn't been the initial response that Rachel was expecting. But she didn't realise until that moment that it was exactly what she needed to hear. Instinctively she huddled closer to Eddie, anticipating that he would have more to say.

"I hope that you aren't right, about Melissa. For the sake of Philip. But I can't help agreeing with you."

Rachel looked up at him now, "I just can't imagine what it would do to him Eddie. If that is the truth."

"It wouldn't be fair on the poor lad. But… he knows we are there for him. He knows that neither you nor I are going anywhere."

"I really appreciate that Eddie. You being there for Philip. And I know he does too."

"It doesn't just apply to him you know."

Rachel smiled at Eddie, knowing what he was meaning, "I can't thank you enough for everything. All your support."

"Rachel," Eddie too smiled, "you don't need to thank me. I just don't want you to feel like you have to be strong all the time. Especially not in front of me."

"What did I do to deserve you?"

"I could ask you the same question. What I did to deserve you I'll never know."

….

Philip was very unsure about the whole situation. He was torn about what to do. Part of him wanted to approach Mollie at school the following day and tell her everything. Did she already know who he was? Who Rachel was?

He sighed, right now, Philip knew that approaching Mollie wasn't a possibility. This had to be kept between him, Rachel and Eddie otherwise it would get out of hand. The other thing bugging Philip was his inkling of who his mother's new man truly was. He was certain that the man in the photo was in fact Mollie's father. The man who used to hit him all those years ago.

Philip had to be sure though. It was just knowing how to be.

Maybe he could just phone Melissa. Realistically, it wasn't a very attractive idea. The last thing Philip wanted to do was exchange pleasantries with his mum. He knew she would act nice to him and just the thought of that sickened him. But this was for his own sanity. Not knowing for sure who this new man is was driving Philip insane. Or more so the fact that it could be the man who had caused him so much pain in the past.

Philip's phone was in his hands now. With one click, it could be ringing. A few more seconds after that, his mum could answer. Maybe he could stand listening to her voice for a few minutes if he was going to get to the truth. He had to find out the answers to all of the questions circulating in his brain.

"_Philip!" _

Melissa picked up almost instantly. Her pretence of a cheery tone of voice was predictable. Philip wasn't sure if it was for his benefit or for her own. It sounded busy in the background, and Philip found himself wondering if she was still in Paris.

"Hi erm. I wanted to ask you something."

"_Go ahead! I've missed you Phil, do you know that?" _

"It's the man, in the picture," Philip began, ignoring his mum's previous question. It was all an act. He just had to keep reminding himself that, "he's Mollie's dad isn't he?"

There was a silence, for a good thirty seconds or so. Philip was starting to wonder if she had simply put her mobile down. He hoped not. He doubted he would find the courage to ring her again if she had. Just as he was about to lose patience, Melissa's voice broke out once more.

"_You're right Philip, it is. You… you remember her?" _

"Yes. Only little bits."

"_Why are you asking me about this now?"_

"She's at school. At Waterloo Road."

"_What? I told Julie not to do that…"_

Philip's brow furrowed as he continued to listen to Melissa. She was just confusing him anymore. Although he guessed that her previous sentence was more talking to herself than him.

"Not to do what? And who the hell is Julie?"

"_Mollie's adopted mum… look that doesn't matter," _Melissa baffled as she caught herself. Philip guessed that she realised that she was about to give too much away.

"So it really is him then?"

Philip decided to go back to the subject of Mollie's dad. It was the main reason why he phoned Melissa. To find out if she really did know about the way he had abused her own son. Yet as the conversation went on, Philip found himself not daring to think of the truth. He didn't think that he could bear it.

"_He's changed love. Honest, he has." _

And there it was. The unspoken truth. Definitely not for the first time that day, Philip couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew what this meant. His suspicions were right. He knew the answer to what he had said to Rachel earlier. He just didn't want to believe it. Not yet.

"So you did know?"

"_Know what?" _

"That he used to hit me! What else?"

"_Yes erm… but Philip I thought you knew that already?"_

He couldn't stop the scoff that escaped his mouth. She really was something else.

"How could you do that to me? I was only a kid. I don't believe you."

"_Look Philip I'm sorry! So sorry,"_ Melissa sounded frantic now. Maybe she could sense his longing to end the phone call and never talk to her again.

"_You've got to believe me though. When I say he's changed. He's a teacher now, well has just come out of a headteacher's role. In fact he's starting a new job in a few weeks, back in England. We are flying home tonight." _

"Look mum will you just shut up for a second? I don't care. And I can't believe he's changed."

"_When we get back, why don't you come and see for yourself. Or we will visit you."_

"Are you delusional? Don't even think about coming back here. I don't want to see you. And you can't do that to Rachel."

Philip was trying his best to lower the volume of his voice. The last thing he wanted was either Rachel or Eddie walking in. But it proved difficult. His mum definitely knew all the right buttons to press.

"_Of course you're thinking of her," Melissa scoffed. _

"Yeah, I am. And why wouldn't I be? She's the one who has been looking after me while you're swanning about in Paris. So don't take this out on Rachel, this has got nothing to do with her."

Philip heard Melissa sigh. He was surprised that she didn't bite back. She often did when it came to his auntie Rachel. Philip just hoped that it was a sign that the message was getting through to her. Although that was wishful thinking. A silence soon fell, and it brought a realisation to Philip. This wasn't the only thing he had to ask her.

"What happened to Mollie mum? Why did you abandon her?"

"_I don't want to talk about this Philip. Not now. I've got to go." _

Just like that, the line went dead. He felt sick to think that the man who used to hit him was now a teacher. Maybe he had changed. But somehow, Philip didn't think so. As he flopped back against his pillow, Philip realised that he was left with far more questions than answers. Why was Mollie at Waterloo Road? Why did his mum get so defensive when he asked what happened to Mollie? Would his mum come back? What was this job that her new boyfriend had got? What did his mum mean when she said that she told Julie not to do that? What was Melissa planning to do next? Because Philip knew his mum all too well, and she most definitely had something in mind. Far too many questions, and far too little answers.


	26. The Latest Bombshell

_Thank you for the reviews. _

_Now, you might be able to guess who Mollie's dad could be from this chapter._

_Please enjoy :) x_

Chapter 26: The Latest Bombshell

"An emergency LEA meeting," Eddie said as he peered over Rachel's shoulder to read the email, "that sounds serious."

Rachel chewed her lip and agreed apprehensively.

"Let's just hope they aren't giving us the sack!"

Of course Eddie said it as a joke. He could tell from the look on her face that she was thinking too much into it, so he wanted to raise her spirits a bit. Yet from the way she flicked her head around to look at him and then stood up from her desk, Rachel had gotten the wrong end of the stick. It looked like this whole Mollie and Philip situation had put her on edge.

"Hey," Eddie spoke softly, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I was joking, Rach. Of course it's not that. You and I both know that you're the best thing to happen to this school. If Waterloo Road works, it's because of Rachel Mason."

He was pleased to see that a light smile graced Rachel's lips as she looked up at him. He wondered if she had noticed that he had spoken the same words that he did in the LEA meeting when she was wanting to resign.

"I really am overthinking this aren't I?"

"Yes!" Eddie chuckled, placing both hands on her shoulders now, "it'll probably be to do with the new intake for September, or maybe about the exams. Try not to worry."

"It's pencilled in for this afternoon. So luckily that doesn't give me much time to sit and think about it."

"Well there you go then," Eddie smiled, and he was delighted to draw up a similar expression from Rachel, "it's lunchtime now. So why don't we grab something to eat. I'm sure the time will fly by with my amazing company."

As Rachel laughed and nudged him with her elbow, Eddie hoped that the meeting wouldn't add anything else for her to worry about. Philip had become increasingly quiet since his confession the previous day. Eddie thought, and knew that Rachel was doing an incredible job with her nephew. But he also knew that she would be beating herself up about it unnecessarily. He just had to hope that this afternoon wouldn't make everything ten times worse. Yet whatever the outcome, Eddie would most definitely be by her side. He hoped that would be enough to keep Rachel smiling.

….

For Philip, his concentration levels were at an all time low. Ever since his phone call with Melissa the previous evening, he hadn't been able to stop the thoughts spinning in his mind. He had gotten away with doing as little work as possible pretty much all day at school, but now it was last lesson and he had maths. With Eddie. Philip was aware of Eddie's eyes on him, and he knew that he'd be able to tell that the whole Mollie and Melissa situation was on his mind. Even if he hadn't told Rachel and Eddie about the phone call.

Wouldn't it just make them more concerned?

Philip knew that Rachel would be overthinking the situation just as much as he was. So he worried that revealing what was said the previous night would tip her over the edge. The teaching role, the mention of Julie, Melissa's defensiveness - it was all enough to push Rachel's mind into overdrive and he knew it.

At the same time though, he needed answers. He craved to get to the bottom of everything. And Philip didn't think he could do that without the help of Rachel and Eddie. Maybe if he told them, they could figure something out together.

It wasn't until there was a knock on the classroom door that Philip refocused his attention on what was going on around him. Rachel was at the door. What had happened now? Did she somehow know about the phone call?

"Mr Lawson, could I just have a word please?"

Maybe Philip's mind had already been made up for him. Maybe Rachel had overheard him on the phone to Melissa the previous evening. Philip mentally shook himself. If it was that, she would have confided in Eddie straight away. She wouldn't have waited until the following day and she wouldn't have interrupted his lesson.

As Eddie told everyone to get on with their work, Philip realised that his mind had been made up. He had no other option than to tell Eddie and Rachel everything his mum had said. Not if he wanted to get to the bottom of everything. And it had to be sooner, rather than later.

….

Eddie could tell that Rachel wasn't necessarily happy with the outcome of the meeting from the look upon her face. That and the rarity with which she would interrupt his classes. He knew she would be wanting to speak, so just raised his eyebrows slightly and hoped that his expression looked reassuring.

"They… they told me that John Foster's school is closing. That means that the pupils need somewhere to go. Some of them are going to other schools in the area… but the majority are coming here. That means a full scale merger, commencing after the Easter break."

Eddie could sense the panic in Rachel's voice, and took a step closer. He placed a hand on her right shoulder, and longed to do more to comfort her. He knew that this wasn't a possibility in their current environment, so just hoped that she could glean enough from the slight squeeze of her arm that he gave. That and the words he was about to speak.

"Rachel, you're the best head teacher I've ever worked with. It might seem… daunting now, but we are a team, you and me. You'll gain the John Foster's pupils' respect just as quickly as you gained Waterloo Road's."

A smile began to form on Rachel's lips and Eddie guessed that it was her way of thanking him for the reassurance. As well as this though, Eddie sensed that there was more to this. But what?

"They're bringing in an executive head. To oversee things and...I just worry that… they're going to want to take over."

"So this executive head is going to have other schools to oversee, am I right?"

Rachel nodded, and Eddie saw as she realised that she was once again being a natural worrier.

"He's not going to focus all his attention on our school then is he?"

She shook her head now, agreeing with him and Eddie longed to bring her into an embrace. Just to reassure her that little bit further. But with them being stood where his year eleven maths class could see them, Eddie didn't think that Rachel would approve.

She seemed to sense his inner turmoil and laughed slightly. Eddie was glad, it was the first time that she had shown a true sign of happiness since knocking on his classroom door. Of course Eddie too had his qualms about the merger, but he knew that Rachel was capable of handling anything. And they were a team. They would always be the dynamic duo and they would always be at each other's side.

….

Philip's foot was tapping furiously as he watched the conversation unfold between Eddie and Rachel. He was surprised to see that pretty much everyone else in the class had continued with their simultaneous equations, as instructed. The more and more he thought about it, the more and more Philip just wanted to tell Rachel about the phone call. The thing was, he didn't think he could wait any longer.

Ignoring the confused glances, in particular from Bolton and Paul, Philip rose from his seat and made his way out of the classroom.

Instantly, Rachel and Eddie sensed his presence and turned to face him, both with questioning glances.

"Last night… I called mum. I spoke to her about everything."

Philip was aware of how random the statement sounded. But he also knew that if he didn't say it now then he might never say it. Straight away Rachel and Eddie exchanged a look. This in turn made Philip feel slightly guilty and re think over his reasons for not wanting to tell Rachel. She had a hell of a lot on her plate, and Philip was quickly realising that her calling Eddie out from his lesson was probably something extra for her to deal with. But there wasn't really a chance to turn back now. It would be worse if he lied about everything.

"Eddie," Rachel began, "you get back in there and I'll go and take Philip to my office."

"Rachel…"

"Eddie, I'll be fine honestly."

Philip heard a sigh from Eddie before he spoke, "if you're sure. I'll come and find you when the lesson is over."

Rachel nodded her thanks before turning to Philip. He once again felt terribly guilty. She looked on another level of worry. It was different from that expression of the other day. Philip guessed that she was just waiting for the next bombshell. That seemed to be the way things were going at the moment.


	27. Every Cloud Has One Silver Lining

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_Please enjoy this chapter :) x_

Chapter 27: Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining

As Rachel made the coffees, it registered with Philip just how many hot drinks he had consumed in the past week. Maybe it was slowly becoming his coping mechanism. When he had approached Rachel in the corridor, Philip had half expected her to tell him to go back to class. She wouldn't have wanted his education to be jeopardised because of this problem. Yet maybe because she didn't do that, it showed Philip just how much she cared about it all. As if he didn't know that already. Of course he knew that already, after everything she and Eddie had done for him.

Rachel smiled at him when he took a seat on the sofas, and Philip was aware that it was his call. As much as he didn't want it to be. He was the one who came running to Rachel about this, so now he had to explain. With hopes that she would be able to help.

"I had to know Rach."

She looked at him with a slight furrowed brow, and Philip knew he would have to give her more than that.

"What I was saying to you… about if she knew about… you know…"

Philip saw as realisation struck Rachel and her expression softened. He guessed from that look that she already knew what his mum's response had been. Philip had been expecting that demeanour from her, but he didn't anticipate the look of shared understanding. As if she had been through something similar to him. Philip wanted to ask, but knew that his aunt was someone who had to open up to people unquestioned. Perhaps with the exception of Eddie.

Her next word was spoken after a brief silence, "and?"

"She did… she did know. She just never did anything, or said anything to anyone."

Rachel closed her eyes and Philip guessed that she was just trying to take it in. Either that or she was trying to stop the tears from falling. Much like he had done after the phone call with Melissa the previous evening.

"I'm so sorry Philip," she eventually whispered, eyes still closed.

Immediately, a surge of anger coursed through Philip. Directed at Melissa. His _mum_. It still baffled him that someone who was supposed to love and care for him and caused him so much pain. It certainly wasn't Rachel's place to be feeling guilty or saying sorry.

"What are you saying sorry for? There's nothing for you to be sorry for."

"I wish I had been in your life all those years ago. Maybe then I could have stopped him, could have done something."

Philip couldn't stop the sigh that escaped his lips, it was as if he was trying to rid himself of some of the anger. Yet from the way his fingers automatically clenched and unclenched, this feeling wasn't about to disintegrate.

"You weren't to know. And you're in my life now, doing a better job at being my mum than my real one ever did."

Rachel smiled now. And Philip was more than glad to see some sincerity as well as shared sympathy in it. Once again, he found himself wondering if his aunt had been through similar things in things in the past to what he had. Maybe if he ever found the courage he would ask her about it one day. Or maybe she would find the courage to talk to him. That seemed like the more likely of the two scenarios.

"There's something else," Philip muttered as he met Rachel's watery eyes.

"Right…"

"The man...that she's with now. It's him… it's the same man who used to hit me."

The effect was instant. Rachel's expression changed from that of comfort and sorrow to one of disgust and anger. Presumably targeted in a similar direction to where Philip's own anger was targeted in.

"I don't know what to say, Philip. I… just once again I'm left feeling like Melissa couldn't get any more heartless. But of course, she can."

"Knowing about what he used to do to me is one thing. But for her to go back to him. I… I just can't get my head around it. She said he's changed, that he's a teacher now."

If at all possible Rachel looked even more horrified at this latest development.

"Let's hope Melissa is right. Let's hope he has changed. For the sake of the pupils he teaches."

"He wouldn't get away with anything like that in a school though… would he?"

Rachel glanced down and shrugged, "maybe not. But there's been plenty of examples of abuse in schools in the past."

Philip felt himself sigh once more, "I just don't know what to do now. I tried asking her about why Mollie just disappeared and she clammed up, snapped at me and put the phone down. None of it makes sense."

"I can't quite get my head around it either Philip. But I think we do need to get to the bottom of all this. For our own closure if nothing else. Maybe a relationship with you and Mollie could come out of all of this."

"I hope so. I have always wanted a sister, you know Rach."

Rachel smiled and Philip could tell that she was thinking about her own relationship with Melissa and the better one that they could have had.

"You've got one. It's just getting to know her."

"Every cloud."

"Most definitely."

"I just feel like I can't approach her until I know what the hell's gone on."

Rachel went silent for a moment but looked thoughtful. She was definitely thinking of a way to solve all of this and Philip just hoped that it would work.

It was then that Eddie entered the office, as promised. Philip couldn't help but smile along with Rachel. They were both perfect for eachother and Philip was so happy to see their relationship getting stronger each day. In a way, this made him glad that his mum left.

"Melissa did know... about what happened with Philip and her boyfriend," Rachel began as Eddie sat down.

Philip found himself once again feeling glad of Eddie's presence. It was just another person who he knew that he could rely on.

Philip didn't miss the way that Eddie ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He looked just as angered about all of this as himself and Rachel were.

"That woman is something else…" Eddie grumbled, with Rachel nodding and sighing in agreement.

"That's not all. The man she's with in Paris, is Mollie's father, also known as, the man who abused Philip."

"Christ…"

Rachel and Eddie shared a look of consensus before she turned back to Philip.

"Talking of Paris, Philip… do you know if she's still there?"

Philip wasn't surprised at this question from Rachel. In fact, he had been expecting it earlier on in the conversation.

"When I rang her last night, she said they were flying home that evening. As in last night."

Philip decided to leave out what Melissa had said about coming to see them. It would only put more strain on his aunt. And like he had thought many times before, she didn't deserve that and neither did Eddie.

He could see the way that Eddie was looking at Rachel worriedly as she massaged her temple with her fingertips. Philip gathered that Melissa's return had obviously been a topic of conversation between the pair. He just had to hope that his mum's comment about visiting them had been a throwaway one, and nothing would come of it.

"Anyway," Rachel continued, seemingly as an attempt to ignore the slight worry to do with Melissa's potential return, "I think we can both agree that the silver lining of this would be for Philip to have a relationship with his sister. But he can only do that if we find out what on earth went on."

Eddie's eyebrows raised, "have you tried directly asking your mum Phil?"

"Yep. When I phoned her last night. She put the phone down pretty much straight away."

"Helpful," Eddie responded, sarcasm very much evident.

"She mentioned Julie though. Mollie's adopted mum. Was a bit weird about it actually."

The look Rachel and Eddie shared was expected, but what wasn't expected however, was what Rachel said to Eddie next.

"What do you say to a visit to Julie, Mollie's legal guardian? Maybe then we can find out what really happened."


	28. I Thought You Knew

_Thank you for the reviews._

_Hope you enjoy this chapter :) x_

Chapter 28: I Thought You Knew

"Rachel, are you sure this is a good idea?"

They were making their way back out of the house, having dropped Philip off at home. He had insisted on joining them, but Rachel really didn't think it was for the best. She was planning on initially playing her and Eddie's visit off as checking in on a new pupil. Granted, she would normally only go as far as a phone call, but Julie wasn't to know that. So if Philip was in tow, surely the woman was bound to suspect something?

"It's probably not the best," Rachel turned to Eddie as they got seated in her car, "but it's our only option if we really want to know what went on. Melissa certainly isn't going to come clean. And frankly, I don't want an excuse to have her back in my life. Even though that is looking pretty likely at the moment."

"I know it's our only option. I'm just over worrying about it."

Rachel couldn't resist a smile now, "well doesn't that make a change?"

Eddie chuckled, "it sure does."

They simply glanced at each other as a silence fell for a few moments. Rachel sensed that Eddie wanted to say something else. Maybe about her mention of Melissa coming back. Given what he just said about over worrying, Rachel kind of thought that he was just as anxious about the return of Melissa as she was. Sometimes she forgot that she could read him just as well as he could read her.

"Unfortunately, I have to agree with you. I can imagine coming back into our lives right now would be something that she would do. Especially now with this whole Mollie situation."

Rachel nodded and sighed. It was the reality, however hard for her to accept.

"But it doesn't matter," Eddie said as he reached across to place a hand on her leg. She couldn't deny the sparks that flew within her at the contact. Even after a couple of weeks it felt amazingly special, "because she's not going to come between us. Remember? No one can."

It was more on instinct that she placed her own hand over his. Once again his words and physical contact was something that Rachel hadn't realised she craved. No matter how uncertain she was feeling about visiting Julie, Rachel felt utterly relaxed in that moment as she leant across to plant a kiss on Eddie's cheek.

Once they arrived at the address noted in Mollie's files, Rachel had to admit to herself that she was having second thoughts. Second thoughts about getting involved. Second thoughts about their only option. Second thoughts about revealing the truth. It was unlikely that the reality was going to be a pretty picture. And what if none of this went to plan, what then?

As she stepped out of the car, she felt Eddie's fingers brush her own and this seemingly reminded her of the reasons why they were doing this. Nothing else mattered because this was for Philip. And Rachel would do absolutely anything for her nephew.

Rachel sensed Eddie becoming hesitant about a minute after knocking. She had to relate; Rachel was unsure what they would do if Julie didn't answer the door. Like she had thought - if this didn't go to plan, what would they do then?

Just as Rachel was about to start conjuring up alternatives, the door opened, to reveal a woman who she could only presume to be Julie. Rachel realised that she needed to speak, but she couldn't help think about how young Julie looked. Late twenties at a push.

"Hello, I'm Rachel Mason, headteacher at - ''

"I know who you are," Julie said with a smile.

This certainly wasn't what Rachel had been expecting, and turned to Eddie, flabbergasted. Did Julie mean she knew that she was headteacher at Waterloo road? Or did it run deeper than that. Did she already know that Rachel was Mollie's auntie?

It looked like they were about to find out as Julie took a step back to open the door wider, and let them in.

"You can come in. Mollie is at dance class, won't be back for a good few hours. Can I get you both a drink?"

This was the strangest of scenarios, Rachel found herself thinking subconsciously. Perhaps it shouldn't have been but it was unnerving how nice Julie was being. It made Rachel feel like she knew a lot about what had gone on. But maybe that could be a good thing.

Both she and Eddie politely declined a drink before being directed to the living room. A slightly awkward silence fell as the three adults sat down. There was uncertainty surrounding who should speak first. Rachel kind of decided to just bite the bullet.

"What did you mean, Julie. When you said that you know who I am?"

"Well you're Melissa's sister aren't you," the woman said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. As if Rachel was stupid for asking.

Rachel clammed up at Julie's words and found herself glancing at Eddie for support. Or maybe it was a cry out for help, she wasn't sure.

"If you don't mind me asking Julie, how do you know that?"

As Eddie spoke, Julie hesitated. Far more than she did with Rachel's initial question. She just had to hope that Mollie's adopted mum wasn't going to hold information back like Melissa had done.

"Look… I thought you knew, Rachel? About what went on."

Julie seemed to ignore the fact that Eddie had answered the question and aimed her response in Rachel's direction. She just had to guess that it was Julie not knowing Eddie. But having said that, Julie didn't know her either?

"No I… Melissa never told me."

Julie half scoffed, half laughed, "you might want that drink after all. Maybe something stronger than coffee."

This didn't do anything to calm Rachel's nerves, and she was glad that Eddie was close enough to rest his leg against hers. It was a small gesture that brought a huge amount of comfort to Rachel. Just knowing that Eddie was by her side was enough to bring back her confidence.

So she just smiled nervously and internally prepared herself for whatever Julie was about to reveal.

"We used to be at aa meetings together. Me and Melissa."

"I'm sorry… aa meetings?"

If this first piece of information was anything to go by, this whole conversation was going to be a shocker.

"Oh Melissa used to be an alcoholic. Did you not know that either?"

Rachel shook her head slowly.

"Looks like you've got a lot to find out then."

Rachel could tell that Eddie wanted to reach out to her and bring her into his arms. He was the only person, probably with the exception of Philip, who would know how much this was going to hurt her. Because it obviously wasn't going to be a joyous revelation.

"So anyway," Julie recommenced, "that's how we met. I was only 18. She was what… 24?"

"If this was 11 years ago then yes."

Julie nodded, "so we got talking. Sat next to her in every meeting. I was pretty much homeless at the time. Parents kicked me out… but that's another story. Melissa told me of her baby girl… Mollie. I remember making a joke about how I'd only have a kid if someone paid me. That was when her expression changed."

Rachel tensed up, and could even feel Eddie getting uncomfortable next to her. Surely this conversation wasn't heading in the direction which she thought it was?

She closed her eyes briefly, willing for everything to just disappear. But then she heard Julie's voice again, and was forced back to reality.

"Like I said, it was meant as a joke. But as that week passed, she started asking more and more questions. And that was when she found out I was strapped for cash, and without secure accommodation. So she made me an offer. Melissa said, that if I took Mollie she would give me five grand and pay for the rent on a proper place to live for a year. She helped me get a job as well."

The more and more Rachel heard, the more and more she wanted to be sick. Or scream at Melissa. She wasn't sure which. Rachel knew how significant it was to feel loved by your parents. She knew how heartbreaking it was to feel unloved by them, or abandoned. Melissa knew that too. Or Rachel thought she did.

She glanced at Eddie briefly as Julie paused, he looked as equally disgusted as she felt, if not more.

"I just don't understand…" Eddie sighed in fury, "how could she do that? Her own child…"

It hit Rachel then why this would be effecting Eddie just as much. The loss of his son, Stephen. As well as not seeing Michael for a good chunk of his early years. Now it was Rachel who desperately wanted to comfort Eddie. For the moment she settled for a look which she hoped was comforting. His expression softened and Rachel was glad that she could settle his upset like he could settle hers.

"I don't know either," Julie responded, "but you've got to understand that I was skint. There was no other option for me. It was either take Melissa's offer, or starve and live on and off the streets for the rest of my life…"

"No Julie, we aren't blaming you at all. I completely… understand why you might've seen it as the only way out. Melissa should have never made the offer in the first place. Please… don't think that we are judging you for one second."

Rachel was glad that after her words Julie smiled slightly. At least it showed that what she said had been believable. And it was true. Rachel didn't blame her, and she knew that Eddie wouldn't either. Rachel could entirely understand the anxiousness and the desperate feeling that came with having no money. Not being able to get yourself out of a whole. So of course she could comprehend why Julie took Melissa's offer with both hands. It was Melissa who should be feeling responsible, not Julie.

As another silence fell, Rachel recognised that there was still a hell of a lot she wanted, no correction _needed, _to know.

"Has Melissa kept in touch with you, all these years?"

"On and off," Julie shrugged, "it was pretty consistent for the first 3 or 4 years of Mollie's life. But after that, not much."

"Mollie said that you… homeschooled her. Up until this point."

Julie's eyes flicked up to meet Rachel's. Surprise flickered across her expression which quickly changed to something that Rachel couldn't quite decipher.

"Oh, yes. That was part of Melissa's… agreement. That was when you came into it. She spoke of you quite a lot, said that the two of you weren't close anymore. Somehow she knew of your… name change. Don't ask why, I couldn't tell you."

Rachel didn't need to ask. She remembered bumping into Melissa in the street, shortly after she had ridden herself of Amanda. Melissa had been with a group of friends, so it was brief, and Rachel remembered how quickly they had almost gotten into an argument when she mentioned her name change. That was when Rachel thought she would never see her sister again. She didn't, until Philip had just turned 11. Another out of the blue meeting, but slightly calmer.

"She was adamant that you couldn't know…" Julie continued, "about Mollie. She mentioned that you were a teacher, but she didn't know whether you were primary or secondary. Just that you had always wanted to be a teacher and you weren't someone who gave up easily on what they wanted to achieve."

Rachel felt Eddie smile, almost chuckle, beside her. It brought her a great deal of warmth. It was just privy to how well Eddie knew her. He had probably seen that attitude within her several times in recent years. But along with this sensation came a sense of sadness. She and Melissa had grown apart entirely since their childhood. They had never been overly close, yet they did have that sisterly bond. A sisterly bond that was long gone now. Rachel knew why, why they were so far apart now. It was down to Melissa's repeated selfish actions, and the blame she repeatedly put on Rachel for her own mistakes. So for once, Rachel didn't berate herself, not entirely.

She zoned back into the conversation as it registered that Julie was speaking again. This seemed familiar. Rachel couldn't help the way she segued into a world of her own every now and then. This conversation was evoking far too many memories and feelings that she didn't know she remembered or felt.

"I mean, it was unlikely… highly unlikely. And I couldn't help but think Melissa was being overcautious. But she said that I could never send Mollie to school, in case she ever came into contact with you. She said that you would have tried to be in her life, that it's what you always did. Stick your nose in. Her words, not mine."

And there was the real Melissa, Rachel thought. Certainly not the 'new and improved' one that she had been bragging about when she came to Rochdale.

"So why bring her to school now? And Waterloo Road… that's not a coincidence?"

Rachel found herself once again extremely glad that Eddie spoke. There was a lump forming in her throat and she was finding it increasingly difficult to hold back the tears. All she wanted to do was collapse into Eddie's arms. Comfort him whilst he comforted her. Because as she suspected before, Eddie would surely be affected by Melissa's actions too, as a result of his own past with his sons. Rachel just hoped that she could support and reassure him just as much as he constantly did for her.

"No it's not," Julie sighed as she glanced between Rachel and Eddie, "you know how I said that Melissa's contact kind of… faltered after the first few years of Mollie's life?"

She waited for a nod from them both, "well over the past year she's been almost constantly ringing me, texting me, emailing me… all sorts. Cut a long story short, she's been threatening me. They were vague, not specific, just that I had to give Mollie back to her otherwise bad things would happen to me. She said that it would be when I least expected it."


	29. Every Step of the Way

_Thank you for the reviews, glad that you are liking the story. _

_Hope you enjoy this chapter too :) x_

Chapter 29: Every Step of the Way

"She threatened you? Melissa can be… selfish… and … and heartless at the best of times but this just doesn't make sense," Rachel stuttered as she ran a shaky hand through her hair.

It felt foreign coming out of Rachel's mouth, to almost defend her sister after everything she had done. But this was her little sister, and no matter how spiteful she could be, Rachel couldn't picture her threatening Julie so intensely.

Julie shrugged as she glanced between Eddie and Rachel, "I didn't either. She was always… nice to me. Back when we first met each other. And I would've thought her to be the exact opposite of friendly, given what her deal was."

Rachel and Eddie shared a glance. They had experienced their fair share of Melissa being the polar opposite of kind in recent weeks. But always acting sweet and innocent on the surface. So probably out of everything discussed with Julie, this strangely made the most sense.

"Look, did she say anything else?" Rachel heard Eddie question.

Maybe Melissa wouldn't go as far to threaten someone. She was more covert than that. Unless… she was being forced or told to. Then that would be a different story.

"No. Just what I've already told you. The calls and texts have become more persistent in the past few weeks."

Another glance was shared between Eddie and Rachel. Surely it was no coincidence that Melissa's threats to Julie had increased since she abandoned Philip? Abandoned Philip for Mollie's dad. Rachel wasn't sure about sharing this piece of information with Julie just yet. It would only put her on edge further, wouldn't it?

Unless she had been back in contact with Mollie's dad for longer than a few weeks. Rachel couldn't quite comprehend it. Just when she thought that the pieces of the puzzle were fitting together, it all jumbled up again.

It was when Julie glanced at the clock that her whole demeanour seemed to change.

"Look, you'd better be going. I need to pick Mollie up soon."

Rachel and Eddie stood hesitantly. It felt odd to leave now. For Rachel, there was so much more she needed to know before she could begin to fully understand. Maybe she would just have to figure it out for herself.

As they reached the front door, Rachel turned to Julie. She realised that there was something she absolutely couldn't piece together herself. Something that she had kind of already asked but Julie hadn't particularly answered.

"Did you know that I was headteacher of Waterloo Road when you chose the school for Mollie?"

Julie glanced down, "I did. I was struggling to homeschool her once she started secondary. The content… it's completely different to primary and far more difficult to teach. And then she kept asking, about her blood relatives. I wanted to tell her about Melissa, to let Mollie meet her. But it's something I can't risk, not with Melissa threatening me. I love Mollie like she's my own, I've looked after her for her whole life. Of course I do. I couldn't imagine losing her."

Julie paused for a moment, taking a deep breath.

"I obviously remembered what Melissa said, about you being a teacher. So I did my research, and just by chance you were the headteacher of a school near us. I was hoping she could get to know you. At least then she'd have one blood relative."

Two, Rachel thought absentmindedly. She didn't want to mention that yet. Rachel couldn't even begin to think how she was going to explain all of this to Philip. It was bound to tear him apart even further.

"Does she know? That I'm her auntie?"

"No… I thought it would be best to just let her figure it out. Sounds a bit cowardly really."

"Julie, it doesn't," Rachel said, taking a step closer to place a hand on the woman's arm, "I think you've been really brave to make a life out of this awful situation. You obviously love Mollie a whole lot."

Rachel was glad to see Julie nod in agreement. She had a great deal of sympathy for this woman. Rachel knew what a journey you had to go on to completely turn your life around. But Julie had. Perhaps not with the best circumstances, or with the best catalyst. But the main thing was she had done it.

"Thank you, Rachel… and?"

Julie turned to Eddie, questionably. It was then that Rachel was reminded how they hadn't got a proper chance to introduce themselves. Julie must have been wondering who Eddie was for the whole conversation.

"Eddie Lawson. Deputy head at Waterloo Road."

Julie nodded in response to Eddie, smiling as she looked between them both. She was probably wondering why Eddie was here if it was Rachel's family business. Or maybe she had already put two and two together.

"I'm sorry about how much of a shock this must have been for you."

"Don't be. Thank you Julie, for being so honest with us."

Rachel expected that to be it, that they would just open the door and walk out. But just as she swung the front door open, she heard Julie's voice calling her name.

"Rachel, hang on a second."

Rachel spun around, closely followed by Eddie.

"There's another reason why I sent her to Waterloo road."

Rachel noted that Julie all of a sudden looked unsure of herself now. Rachel couldn't help but wonder what it was that she wanted to say.

"Well… I… could you talk to Melissa? Get her to stop threatening me? I can't go on being worried about if I'm going to see my daughter from day to day. And I know Mollie isn't my blood daughter… but that's how I see her after all these years."

"I understand that Julie… of course you would see Mollie as your own."

Julie smiled and Rachel was just unsure about how to react to everything else she said, "Melissa and I… we haven't got the best of relationships. I want to help you though Julie. In my eyes… you are Mollie's mother. But if Mollie… if she wants to know more about her blood relatives, perhaps you should talk to her? I take it she doesn't know about all of this?"

Julie shook her head violently, "I wouldn't know how to start."

"She wouldn't blame you, you know."

"I hope not. Because I do think you're right, I'm going to have to tell her, before we start persuading Melissa to stop."

"It's your choice. As I said, in my eyes, Mollie is your daughter. I'll leave it up to you to decide what's best. But I do want to help, as best I can. I will support you if Melissa comes back."

Rachel was pleased to see a smile spread across Julie's lips, albeit through watery eyes.

"Thank you for that Rachel."

"Here, take my number. Call me if you need anything."

And with a final swing of the door, along with one last smile, they were gone.

It felt almost surreal as Rachel and Eddie walked away from Julie's house, and back to Rachel's car.

Eddie reached for Rachel's hand as soon as they stepped out of the doorstep. It was something he had been wanting to do for the entire duration of the conversation. For his own comfort and reassurance as well as Rachel's.

He couldn't put into words how proud he was of her for how she handled that situation. Eddie had no idea how she was able to keep so calm and collected throughout the entire meeting. He hoped she knew how phenomenal she was. And how so very much he thought of her.

Perhaps this adoration directed at the woman to his left was the only reason why Eddie hadn't exploded with anger. If at all possible, Eddie now felt even more furious at himself for ever getting involved with Melissa. Aside from the fact that he should have waited for Rachel, Melissa was far from the person he thought she was. Not that he particularly liked her after her selfish acts. This was just on another level. It sickened him to think that he was going to marry her. How could she give away her child like that? And then just expect to have her back 11 years later? Didn't she know how lucky she was to have a baby, alive and well?

Eddie was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he didn't realise he and Rachel were now sitting back in her car. He glanced across at her and was met with a look so full of care and love that he felt as if his heart might explode. Rachel brought a hand up to his face and brushed a thumb over his cheekbone lightly. Instantly, he felt some of the tension ease away.

"I know what you must be feeling, and thinking."

There was another perfect example of how special Rachel was. She had put how he was feeling about it all above her own feelings. Because no doubt her mind was in turmoil right now.

As Rachel whispered these words, Eddie was also reminded that the way he could read her like a book was a mutual thing. She knew him inside and out too. And he could open up to her just like she could open up to him.

"It just… doesn't make sense. How she could take for granted having a child who is alive and well. Surely there has to be some sort of reason why… some explanation."

Rachel reached for his hand with her free one, "I'm sorry Eddie, that you had to hear all of that. I can imagine it brought back a lot of painful memories for you. I hope that there was… some kind of plausible reason or… or explanation behind Melissa's actions. Because the alternative is just… not worth thinking about."

He shook his head, "it's not."

Eddie looked back up at Rachel then and softly smiled. It was his way of thanks for her comfort. Because he felt as if he spoke, he would cry. Rachel's support was second to none and the amount of love she so obviously has for him, had a lump forming in Eddie's throat. He loved her just as much, and from the way Rachel smiled back, Eddie was sure that she knew that.

Realising that her hand was still aligned with his cheek, Eddie tilted his head slightly so that he could plant a soft kiss to her palm. He lingered there for a moment, just cherishing the feelings that came from the feel of her skin against his or the feel of her skin against his lips.

"How are we going to tell Philip all of this, hm?" Rachel muttered, "it's going to break him."

Eddie took a hold of her hand which was resting against his cheek, cupping it gently with his own.

"We will sort it. We'll be there for him."

A brief silence elapsed and Rachel looked thoughtful. Eddie couldn't begin to imagine the amount of thoughts that must be flying around in her mind.

"I meant what I said to Julie, I want to help her. I just don't know how. I can't remember the last time Melissa actually listened to a word I said."

"As it is with Philip, I think we've just got to be there for her. There's not much else we can do at the moment. She will call you, if there's any problems."

Rachel nodded before furrowing her brow, "Did it come as a shock to you? About Melissa threatening Julie?"

"I don't know Rach. Maybe it would have, if we hadn't just been told about the whole baby situation. I just don't know what your sister is capable of anymore."

Rachel sighed, "the Melissa I know. My little sister. I can't picture her doing any of this. But then I'm reminded of how much she's changed since we were kids. Just how selfish she has become, and it breaks my heart."

"It's why you were initially almost defending her about the threatening then."

Rachel nodded sadly.

"I can understand that Rachel. She's your little sister, like you say. Your instinct is always going to be to defend or protect her."

"But I don't want it to be. I can't stand this Eddie! Feeling as though I have to sort out her mess all of the time. Because it always gets thrown back in my face. If there truly isn't an explanation… then I can see myself being able to walk away. But if Melissa's in trouble Eddie…"

Eddie couldn't help but smile as he squeezed Rachel's hand, "that's one of the many things I love about you. Your selflessness. You want to save everyone."

Eddie noticed that Rachel too smiled slightly, shrugging her shoulder, "maybe you were right. Maybe I can't save everyone."

Eddie thought for a few moments, "this might be hard to consider. And it sounds harsh. But maybe some people just don't deserve to be saved."

It was harsh, Eddie knew that. And he wasn't someone to be selfish either. But after everything Melissa had put Rachel through recently, he couldn't help be angry. Because as he had thought countless times before. Rachel truly did deserve all the happiness in the world. He wished that she would allow herself to be entirely happy for a change.

"You are right. Melissa probably doesn't deserve saving. I'm furious with her. I can't believe she could have done such a thing. And yet, I'm sitting here thinking that there must be an explanation. A reason why she would do all of this. I don't know if I can just leave it Eddie."

"You've got to let yourself be happy too Rachel."

He watched her smile sincerely and flush at his words. Eddie was glad that she could take some joy out of his love and care for her.

"And you make me happy. So very much."

Eddie leant in now, kissing her lightly on the lips. She responded for a brief moment before he pulled away to study her expression with a smile.

"The feeling is mutual. But what makes me happiest, is seeing you smile. I'm not sure how much of that you'd be doing if Melissa were to be involved in your life again."

"Don't you see that she already is involved? All of this is causing me to be thrown back into the world of Melissa."

"I know Rach. I know."

"Thank you Eddie… well…you've been there every step of the way. And I just love you even more for it."

Eddie felt himself grin instantly. She never failed to put a smile on his face, despite the circumstances.

"I didn't think it was possible to love you any more. But I do, every single day."

They just shared a look for a few moments. Eddie found himself feeling extremely grateful to have Rachel throughout all of this. And extremely glad that he could be there to support and love her. Every step of the way, just like she had said. Because he was sure that she was going to need it.

"We will sort this, won't we?"

The vulnerability in her voice broke Eddie's heart. He had only heard this tone on a handful of occasions. The fire, and her first day back. It was just privy to how much this situation was affecting her.

"Of course we will."


	30. Let Me Tell Philip

_Thank you for the reviews._

_Now, I'm not actually sure how long this fic is going to be. Maybe 40 chapters. _

_Anyway, please enjoy :) x_

Chapter 30: Let Me Tell Philip

Eddie could tell that Rachel was getting more and more worked up about telling Philip as they approached home. He had spent the most part of the drive so far, thinking of ways to make this situation better for her. Eddie had meant it when he said that he was happiest when Rachel was smiling. He was just a bit lost with what to do here. All he kept coming back to was one idea. The only one that could maybe remove some of the weight from Rachel's shoulders. If she would let it happen.

As they pulled up on the driveway, Eddie leant across to place a hand on Rachel's arm. She glanced down at where his hand lay, before slowly turning her gaze towards his. Only then did he start to speak.

"Why don't I talk to Philip?"

"Eddie… I can't expect that of you. Not after what Melissa did… it's not fair for you to repeat all of that."

"Let me help Rachel."

"Eddie…"

"Please. I want to."

She looked thoughtful for a long moment. Eddie wondered if she was scanning his features for any signs that he was uncertain about his proposal. He wasn't, so she wouldn't find any. He wanted to do this for Rachel, to make the situation better for her.

"Okay, if you're sure. But call me through… if you feel like you…"

"Rachel," he whispered, moving his hand down the length of her arm so he could take her hand, "you just go upstairs, get some rest. Have a bath or something. You deserve it."

Eddie squeezed her hand and turned to get out of the car. He noted her expression. She was smiling, looking at him with adoration. And it brought Eddie a great sense of delight.

Now he just had to word everything right with Philip.

Eddie was glad that Rachel did go upstairs when they got into the house, following a swift peck on his cheek. It gave him the encouragement to go and find Philip and explain everything.

"Hey Phil," Eddie said as he entered the living room to be met with Philip sitting on the sofa.

It surprised Eddie how relaxed the boy looked and it made him think that maybe this conversation would go as well as it possibly could.

"Where's Rach?" Philip questioned as Eddie came to take a seat next to him.

"She's just gone to relax for a bit mate," Eddie responded, inclining his head towards the staircase, "it's been a tough day."

Philip nodded in what Eddie thought must have been an agreement. It was his way of saying, _yeah it has been a tough day._ It saddened him to think that he was only about to make things worse.

"So did you er… see Julie then?"

"Yeah Phil, we did. What I'm going to tell you… might come as a shock, okay? I'm not going to sugarcoat it."

Philip said nothing but adjusted his position slightly. He now sat forward with his elbows resting on his legs, a hand either side of his cheek.

"Your mum, she met Julie, when Mollie was a baby. She was going to aa meetings, did you know that?"

Philip shook his head slowly. Eddie didn't want to sound interrogating but he figured it would be easier if this seemed like a somewhat normal conversation. Rather than Eddie just talking at him.

"She… erm, pretty much always had a drink in her hand. So it makes sense now I think about it. I was a kid, so I never thought anything of it… well, at the time."

Eddie allowed a brief silence to fall for a moment or two. He didn't want to bombard Philip with all the information at once. He would need time to digest it all. Frankly, Eddie was still thinking it all through and he knew that Rachel would be too. It was a subject that would be on their minds for days if not weeks to come.

"You see, that's how they met," Eddie continued, "at the aa meetings."

"Right."

"The way Julie put it, was that after a few weeks, they were getting along well. She said that she made a joking, throwaway comment. Something like you'd have to pay me to have a child. This was after your mum had mentioned Mollie."

Philip's brow furrowed. Something which Eddie guessed to be involuntary. He had done well to keep his expressions neutral so far. But this was good in a way, Eddie hoped that Philip was going to show how he was feeling about it all rather than just shut everyone out. Because it was undoubtedly going to affect him in a negative way.

Waiting till their eyes met, Eddie decided to go on, "as I said, Julie meant it as a joke. But your mum she… took it the wrong way. Completely out of context by the sounds of it."

"She paid her didn't she?" Philip interrupted before Eddie had the chance to continue, "the woman who is supposed to be my mum… gave another woman money to take Mollie?"

"I'm afraid so Philip," Eddie said, hoping that all the emotion he was trying to show was put across.

Philip glanced up at Eddie for a moment, bewildered and angry. Eddie had to do something, just to show his support that bit further. So he placed his hand on Philip's shoulder, hoping that he wouldn't flinch away.

"We're here for you Phil. Me and Rachel."

Philip wiped furiously at the tears that were obviously threatening in his eyes.

"She's unstoppable. No one can stop her from being the selfish cow that she is."

Under any other circumstance, Eddie would have utterly opposed what Philip was referring to his mum as. He had in fact done so recently. But Eddie couldn't help but agree. Just a week or so ago, Philip had made a similar comment. Eddie had been shocked then, to hear such an insult from the boy. Even then, he had understood where Philip was coming from. But he couldn't condone the comment. Whereas now, Eddie wasn't sure if he could find it in him to tell Philip that he was wrong to refer to his mum like that.

Eddie couldn't even bring himself to say _Melissa. _It was why he kept saying _your mum. _He felt sick to have her name on his tongue. After everything she had done. After everything she had put Rachel and Philip through.

So Eddie bit his own tongue, to stop himself agreeing with Philip. He would have to remain level headed. Say something similar to what he had said a week or so ago.

"I know you're angry mate. So am I. But try to listen to what I said the other week. Try not to call your mum stuff like that, eh?"

"True though."

Eddie couldn't resist it now, "maybe. But what good is it going to do saying that? Be the better person Phil. Like you say, no one can stop her. So you saying that isn't going to make her stop either."

Philip nodded, "was there anything else… that Julie knew?"

"You might have heard Rachel saying that Mollie had been homeschooled. Before Waterloo road," Eddie waited for an acknowledgement from Philip before going on, "that was part of the plan from your mum. She didn't want to risk Mollie coming into contact with Rachel."

"Typical," Philip snorted, "what so Rach didn't find out about her stupid agreement?"

"Something like that."

"I actually wish she'd done that with me. Maybe then I would have had a proper mum."

Eddie sighed, he hated what this was doing to Philip. It just seemed to be one thing after another recently. But he knew that Rachel would want Philip to know that she was there for him, as a mother. And she truly was, Eddie had been thinking of what a phenomenal job she was doing. Philip had probably gotten more support in the past two and a bit weeks than he ever had off his own mum.

"I know you would've wanted things to be different Phil. For your mum to be there for you a lot more, and care about you more than herself. But you know that Rachel's there for you don't you? She cares about you a whole lot more than her own happiness."

"Rach has been a better mum to me than my own ever was. Think this is the one time I've wished mum was actually back, so I could tell her that."

"Maybe it would make her actually think about her actions for once."

"Can't see that happening. She's the most… self centered person…"

"I know it's hard mate. But try not to think about her too much. She doesn't really deserve your thoughts I don't think."

Philip laughed now, and it felt strange to hear in such conflicted circumstances. Eddie didn't know how to feel about it.

"That's about right."

"Look, there's something else… something more recent you need to know about."

Eddie knew that he had to bring up the threatening now otherwise he never would. He didn't want to make this any worse for Philip, but the longer he left it, the harder it would be to tell him the rest of this revelation.

Philip looked up, and Eddie saw this as a cue to continue, "over the past year or so. But more frequently in the past few weeks, your mum has been… threatening Julie. To give her back Mollie."

"Is she for real? I don't think that's fair… on Julie. I mean, she's her mum."

"Yeah she is, so it doesn't sit right with me either."

By the end of the conversation, Philip was looking even more teary eyed. Eddie wasn't sure if it was anger or upset. Probably a mixture of both, or a mixture of several feelings. When Eddie realised that he was close to completely breaking down, he draped an arm over his shoulders. Once again hoping that he wouldn't resist, and he didn't. Slowly but surely he let out some tears. Constantly brushing them away.

Rachel must have heard him though, because shortly after, she was in the living room too. She shared a watery smile with Eddie, silently thanking him for the difficult conversation. He returned it, before Rachel came to sit down the opposite side of Philip, also comforting him as much as possible.

"I'm sorry Philip. So sorry that you've had to go through all of this."

"Please Rach… don't say sorry. You… don't need to."

Philip looked up briefly, and both adults noted that the tears had subsided slightly. Parting from his close proximity, but still very much there to support him, Rachel and Eddie sat back and attempted to study the boy's features.

It was always going to be difficult, to have to tell Philip such out of the blue revelations. But they were both glad in a way that he hadn't tried to conceal his upset over it. Rachel saw it as a possible signal that he would open up about it entirely, once he had come to terms with it all.

Whatever happened, Rachel knew that she would be there. And so would Eddie. Because along with each other, Philip was their priority now.


	31. Mollie Knows

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Chapter 31: Mollie Knows

"_Just a heads up," _Julie greeted as Rachel picked up the phone.

Two days had passed since the events of Mollie's life had unfolded, and it was now Friday. The last day before the Easter break. Philip was actually doing better than expected. Rachel hoped that it was him knowing that she and Eddie were always going to give him support. And the holidays would surely be a good time to emphasise that.

Rachel had been in contact with Julie quite regularly. Julie had sent her several texts, just outlining if Melissa had been in contact.

Aside from one phone call, they had only texted. Their conversation over the phone had been about Philip, Rachel decided that she was going to have to tell Julie of Mollie's brother. And Philip wanted to play a part in her life, so she didn't see any reason to hide it for longer. Maybe the lack of verbal communication was why Rachel frowned slightly as she and Eddie walked out of the front door towards her car. She had picked up the call instantly, smiling at Eddie and gesturing for him to get in the drivers side.

"_I told Mollie," _Julie continued as Rachel pulled across her seatbelt.

"Okay… when did you tell her?"

"_Last night. She actually took it better than I thought. She hates Melissa though. Don't know if that's bad or good." _

"It depends which way you look at it I suppose," Rachel shrugged, even though she wasn't visible to Julie, "might swing in your favour if Melissa does decide to pursue wanting Mollie back."

"_I did think of that. I just know Melissa will find a way to blame me for it. It could backfire." _

Now that did sound familiar. Something Rachel could relate to entirely. Melissa could never resist piling the blame of her problems on other people. It was usually Rachel herself, so this made a strange change.

"And has she called you any more? Threatened you?"

"_Nothing since Wednesday, when I text you about it." _

"Okay… look, Julie. I can completely… comprehend how much you are worried about this. God knows, I would be if I were in your shoes. But just try not to let it play with your mind too much. We will deal with Melissa, when that bridge comes."

"Yes… yes. You're right. But just about Mollie… I told her of Philip. So she might approach him today."

"Well, thank you...for letting me know Julie. And please do contact me if you're worried again."

With an exchanged goodbye, the call ended. Leaving Rachel to share a glance with Eddie.

"Do you think I should text Philip? Just to let him know."

Philip was still at the house. He had picked up a habit of walking to school in recent days. Probably something to do with the early hour that Rachel and Eddie set off.

"It's probably for the best, to give him a heads up," Eddie responded, having heard the phone call, "I think it'll make him feel better about it all, if anything."

"Hopefully. He has been wanting to talk to Mollie, hasn't he? Maybe now is his chance."

"He needs a bit of positivity, poor lad. And it's good that Julie's actually told Mollie."

Rachel hummed in agreement as they pulled up in the car park. At first, the shared car thing had been a worry for Rachel. The staff probably were going to talk, probably were already talking. She knew that. Especially after the rather recent break up of Eddie and her sister. And on any other day, under any other circumstances, it would have bothered her immensely. To have her private life laid open to the staff. But at the moment, there were far bigger things to worry about. Far more important things. Besides, Rachel needed Eddie by her side now more than ever, she had to try and not let the staff's opinions get to that.

Rachel noted that the car park was empty anyway. Aside from two cars which she could only presume to be security, or maybe her secretary. Either way, not a soul was in the car park. They were in earlier than usual, just to put the last few things together for their morning assembly. This might've been one of the reasons why Rachel didn't think too much about tilting her head forwards to place a kiss on Eddie's lips.

"What was that for?" Eddie pulled back, grinning.

"Just because I felt like it," Rachel too smiled, unable to resist a shrug.

He apparently couldn't withstand her teasing, and leant straight back in, lightly nibbling on her bottom lip. It wasn't long before his kisses trailed to her jaw and began to make their way down her neck.

"Mr Lawson," Rachel spoke as she pulled away just moments later, "we have an assembly to prepare for. And I'm sure the pupils and staff don't want a fright this early in the morning, when they do start arriving."

She could tell that he was pushing down the urge to growl in frustration, and Rachel had to giggle at the inscrutable expression on his face.

"Unfortunately, I have to agree. Miss Mason."

Rachel beamed, and was about to step out of the car before she thought of something else to say. Or more so tease Eddie with.

She placed a hand over his knee, looking him straight in the eye, "well there's always tonight."

He opened his mouth to respond, but didn't actually talk. Rachel was glad to see that he was somewhat slightly speechless. That had been the idea. She giggled again, now emerging from the car to leave Eddie lost for words.

….

Overall, Philip was feeling a bit better about everything. He knew he had Rachel and Eddie's support, and he tried to tell himself that it was all that mattered. But he couldn't deny that what his mum had done still tore him apart. That was if he thought about it for too long. He hadn't really let his emotions show to Eddie and Rachel since he found out about it all. It wasn't that Philip couldn't open up to them, far from it. He just didn't want them worrying about him any more than they already were. Maybe he would give it a few days and talk to Rachel about it all. Or maybe even Eddie, because he had made him feel a whole lot better about things the other day.

It was as he was leaving the house that his phone pinged. Philip was going to be late if he didn't set off now, so he hoped it wasn't anything too important. Maybe he should have just gone in early with Rachel and Eddie.

Pulling the phone out of his pocket, he was surprised to see it was from Rachel. She rarely texted him unless he was out with friends, so it must be quite significant. Maybe she had left something at home, and wanted him to bring it in. Philip shook his head. He was always over thinking such simple stuff, he just needed to unlock his phone and read it rather than stressing about it unnecessarily.

Philip didn't really know what to feel as he read the message for the second time. He guessed that he was happy about it. Maybe this was the first step of actually building a relationship up with his sister. Eleven years too late, but it was better late than never. He also felt nervous, which was quite natural for Philip. What if Mollie just approached him at school? He hadn't gotten a chance to explain things to Bolton and Paul yet. So they were bound to wonder what the hell was going on. Philip sighed as he locked the door and started walking. He would just have to tell them. The prospect actually didn't bother him that much, his friends had been quite supportive since his actions in maths on Tuesday. So he would just tell them about his sister, obviously leaving out the actions of Melissa. Philip didn't think he could repeat that to anyone.

So as he met Bolton and Paul at their usual spot, Philip realised that there was no time like the present.

"Y'alright Phil," Bolton said as he approached him, followed by Paul.

Philip greeted them back, before deciding to just get on with it.

"Look lads. I was being weird the other day… right?"

"Mate, you're always weird," Paul laughed.

Philip knew that he was trying to lighten the mood with a joke, and he was glad of it. This wasn't their way of poking fun at him, they had gotten past that stage. Philip was glad of that too. To actually have some decent friends for a change.

"Well… that's normally just my… personality. This was because of something that had happened," Philip said after laughing for a few moments.

"Oh, erm…" Paul replied, turning serious before being interrupted by Bolton.

"What the hell happened man?"

"You were right. That new kid. Mollie, we er… are related. She's my sister."

Philip watched as Paul looked mildly shocked, followed by Bolton huffing out a breath.

"Jheez, we were only having a laugh. Didn't think she actually was your sister."

"Yeah… that's mad," Paul agreed.

"So the thing is… she knows now as well and erm… she might talk to me today. Or I might talk to her. Didn't want you guys… freaking out."

"Nah, course we won't my friend," Bolton said, laughing along with himself and Paul as he patted Philip on the back.

For once Philip was glad of how carefree Bolton and Paul were. When he was with them, he felt normal. As if none of this had actually happened, even when they were talking about it. So for that, Philip was happy.

He had been expecting to see Mollie at some point during the day, but what Philip hadn't been expecting, was to see her standing outside of the school gates as he approached them. She looked as if she was waiting for someone, and Philip could only presume that it was him.

"There you are," Mollie said as she approached him.

The greeting was strange, she was acting as if they had spoken a thousand times before. As if they were just regular siblings. Philip didn't know what to think of it, didn't know if it made him feel more or less nervous. The only thing that registered with him as she walked further towards him was how much she looked like his mum. Their mum.

"I've been waiting for you since I got here. And we are gonna be late."

Philip frowned at her, he really didn't know how to respond, or how to act. It was only as she began to walk in step with their little group that Bolton nudged Philip's arm with his elbow. The cue he needed to realise that he had to say something.

Philip cleared his throat, "it's a bit weird this... don't you think. You know, you being my sister. Us never meeting before."

"Well, technically … we have met before. I was just a tiny baby."

Philip let out a laugh, and cursed himself for how awkward it sounded. Mollie had inherited some of Melissa's confidence, but he certainly hadn't.

"Are you not going to introduce me?" Mollie smiled as she glanced over to Bolton and Paul.

Really, how was she being so confident with a trio of year elevens?

"Oh… yeah. That's Paul… and this is erm... Bolton."

The three of them exchanged smiles whilst Philip wondered when Bolton and Paul had gotten so quiet. Something that Philip would point out to them later.

"Well we'll leave you to it then," Paul finally said, shuffling awkwardly on the spot.

Despite the glare that Philip gave his two friends, it wasn't long before they were walking away, with a brief, "laters Ryan," and nothing more.

Despite him feeling even more awkward with Bolton and Paul gone, Philip was actually quite grateful. He appreciated it because it would give him and Mollie a chance to talk, or plan to talk. Because they only had about five minutes before they had to be in registration.

"Looks like we've got a lot of erm… catching up to do then, doesn't it?"

Philip was glad when Mollie smiled. _His sister. _It still seemed so odd to call her that, even in his head.

….

"Well I've had another email through from the LEA about the merger," Rachel began as Eddie walked towards her with their morning coffees.

"Really?" He responded, coming around to her side of the desk, "let's have a look."

Rachel watched as he squinted his eyes to read the email, and guessed that he was done when his eyes met hers again.

"Executive head's a Mr Max Tyler then."

Rachel hummed, "yes… and he's also spent his entire career in prodimently upper class schools. He's been doing a lot of work with John Foster's recently, despite his head teacher's role at another school close by. Which I guess is… why they've decided to appoint him."

"He will be able to see what we are doing here is working Rachel. What a good job you're doing, he's not going to interfere with that. And if he does, he's got me to answer to."

Rachel smiled at Eddie's joke. She was about to respond when she noticed that Philip was standing in the doorway. She didn't know how long he'd been standing there for, but from the expression on his face, something was wrong.

"That name… Max Tyler… I can't be sure but erm… I'll be right back…"

With that Philip turned on his heel and speed walked out of the antechamber. Rachel and Eddie were left with strikingly similar expressions on their faces, wondering what on earth had just happened. And not knowing whether they should go after him or not.


	32. A Living Nightmare

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Chapter 32: A Living Nightmare

Philip had been planning on telling his aunt about talking to Mollie. That's why he had found himself in the doorway of her office. That was when he heard the name. _Max Tyler_. Just like the photograph, it seemed familiar.

Ignoring the fact that he was already late for registration, Philip had gone to the first free room he had found with computers.

He logged on in record time, internally begging for his instinct to not be right. Philip had been standing at the door for the most part of Rachel and Eddie's conversation. He had already known of the merger, with his aunt announcing it in assembly on Wednesday, and letters being sent out to parents. Not that his mum received one. Thinking of assembly, Philip was reminded that one was taking place in ten minutes. He had to be there, or Rachel and Eddie would start to panic. That was if they hadn't already begun to.

The point was, if his gut instinct was right. This was bad. Really bad. If it was right, then Mollie's father and the man who used to abuse him as a child was going to be the executive headteacher. And he would have a grudge to hold over his aunt and Eddie. A motive to be spiteful and to push them out. And Melissa would undoubtedly be back.

Maybe this was why Philip had an urge to clamp his eyes shut as he typed into the search engine.

_Max Tyler executive head teacher _

The merger would be common knowledge amongst the press by now. So surely the position of executive head would be too.

Philip couldn't decide if he had struck gold or not when he spotted one of the first articles. It read '_Max Tyler appointed executive head for merger of John Fosters with five other schools in the area.' _

Philip held his breath as he scrolled downwards, searching for any images. And there it was. Max Tyler, aka Mollie's father. Aka the man who used to hit him. Aka the man who is mum was back together with. Standing proudly, or perhaps smugly, outside a building that Philip guessed to be Max's old school.

He felt his heart rate and body temperature rising instantly. Philip could hear his mum's words from their phone call running through his mind. _In fact, he's starting a new job in a few weeks, back in England. _She must have known. Rachel was right about her, she wanted revenge on her sister and maybe this was Melissa's way of getting it.

Philip felt sick. It wasn't just Rachel he had to worry about. He wasn't sure if he would be able to stomach coming into contact with the man who had abused him all of those years ago. It was unlikely that Max would recognise him, but he would know his name. Philip's surname was Ryan after all. And Mollie, what about her?

He resisted the urge to scream. Of course when he had thought things were finally back on track, something bad would happen. It was just the way things were going at the moment. And Philip didn't like it one bit.

As he stood up, the only coherent thought in Philip's mind, was that he had to find Rachel. And fast.

….

"Look, Rach," Eddie stopped Rachel as they approached the hall, placing a hand on her arm, "if he's not in assembly, we will go have a proper look for him."

Rachel was nodding as if she were agreeing with him, but Eddie could tell that she was becoming increasingly panicked about the situation. Eddie did find it odd himself, and he too was fairly worried. He just hoped that those emotions hadn't shown when he was trying to reassure her. It was the last thing she needed.

Why did Philip become so concerned and on edge after hearing Max's name?

Eddie dreaded to think of the possibilities. Given the events of recent weeks, anything could have happened.

It was as he gave Rachel's arm one last squeeze that they were about to walk into the hall. That was when Philip came running down the corridor.

"Rachel! Eddie!"

The boy was evidently out of breath, and Eddie found himself wondering why he was in such a rush. By the look on Rachel's face, she was thinking of a similar thing.

"Philip, what on earth's happened?" She said, "Eddie and I have got a hall of students waiting for us..."

She gestured towards the hall and Eddie knew that her emotions were conflicted. Rachel would want to help Philip, to find out what was going on. But equally, she wouldn't want this conversation to be available for the student body to hear. Because they were already waiting in the hall, and they would be beginning to get restless.

"Rachel, I'll take assembly. You get up to your office, and find out what's up. I'll be with you right away."

Rachel nodded once more, smiling at Eddie. She found herself in a strikingly similar position to that of three days previous. Philip wanting to talk to her and Eddie supporting her. She just hoped that it wouldn't lead to more dramatic revelations.

They hadn't even reached her office before Philip was pulling an all too familiar photograph out of his pocket. It was the one of Melissa and her not so new man in Paris. He repulsed Rachel to look at, not only had he abused Philip as a child, it was likely that he was now spurring Melissa on to threaten Julie.

"Ask me who this is," Philip fumbled, pushing the picture towards Rachel.

She felt her brow furrow. She was utterly confused. What did this have to do with Max Tyler…. _oh_.

Rachel's nephew was looking at her expectantly, willing her to ask the question. She didn't know if she needed to, she might already have the answer. But she had to be sure. To hear it before she could dare to believe this living nightmare.

"Wh... who is it?" Rachel shook her head as she opened the door to her office.

Philip paused, glancing down at the photograph which was now in Rachel's grip, "the executive head… Max Tyler… the man who used to hit me as a kid… Mollie's dad. Whatever you… you want to call him. But he's coming here…"

Philip forcefully pointed his finger towards the floor as he said _here_, punctuating the severity of that.

Rachel had already put two and two together but this just confirmed her fears.

"How… how do you know that?"

"Like… the picture, his name was… it rang a bell."

Rachel exhaled slowly, finally walking into her office. She could sense that Philip was following her in and she didn't turn round until she reached her desk, so that she could lean against it. Rachel felt like her legs might collapse beneath her if she didn't have some sort of support.

"So I looked him up. On erm… google."

Philip put his hand in his pocket again, this time bringing out his phone. He passed it to Rachel, staying silent as she studied the picture. It was an article, presumably one that Philip had found online. But it was the image that caught Rachel's eye.

She had the picture in one hand, and the phone in the other. If Rachel hadn't already been one hundred percent certain, this was living proof. Max Tyler really was Mollie's father. Melissa's not so new man. The person who used to hit Philip all those years ago. And he was coming to Waterloo Road, whether they liked it or not.

Because as much as Rachel's instinct was to call the police, and inform them of who Max Tyler really was, it wasn't as simple as that. Max used to hit Philip over ten years ago. And as horrific as it was to admit, there was no real evidence. It would be their word against his. And Melissa's. It upset Rachel to think about, but if her sister had kept quiet all those years ago, she wasn't going to confess now.

That was another thing, Melissa's return had already been imminent. Now, it was impossible to ignore. Along with Max Tyler, she would be making an appearance. And Rachel really didn't know what to think about that.

"Rach."

As Philip spoke, Rachel realised that she had been quiet for too long. Her eyes flicked back up to meet her nephews and the fear in his eyes, told Rachel that they had to find a solution to this. They had to face it head on, together. Herself, Eddie and Philip. Because that's the way things were now.

Rachel just had to remain confident that Melissa and Max wouldn't get in the way of that.


	33. Déjà Vu

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Chapter 33: Déjà Vu

"Rachel, we have to go to the police."

"And say what Eddie? That Max Tyler used to physically abuse my nephew ten plus years ago? Because my sister would back that up all the way."

"Well… then we'll inform the LEA."

"And do you really think that's going to make a difference? They're not going to believe it Eddie. And we can't put Philip through that. We can't put him through explaining everything he knows, for authoritative figures to turn round and say they don't believe him."

Eddie sighed and Rachel could tell that he knew she was right and was trying to think of other ways to solve it.

"He probably applied for the job knowing exactly who I am. This will be all part of Melissa's grand plan."

Eddie raised his eyebrows in response, looking thoughtful. She wasn't sure what they were actually supposed to do from here. And she knew that Eddie was thinking the same thing.

"I could ring his flaming neck and I haven't even met the bloke yet."

"Honestly Eddie… it's you and me both. But the last thing I need is you going all macho on him."

They shared a look and Rachel realised what she had to say next, "because what we need to focus on, is Philip. He is the person who is going to be most affected by this. The last thing we need is him going back to square one, if he hasn't already."

"I can't imagine what's going through his head."

"The level of deception from Melissa is just…" Rachel shrugged, "unbelievable. However expected. I knew she would be planning something. If this is her doing. Melissa… she was never one to… go down without a fight."

"Well we aren't about to go down without a fight either."

Rachel allowed her mouth to contort into some sort of smile. This sort of talk from Eddie was what helped her to keep going. She would always be grateful for it. Just as she was about to thank him, even though he was constantly telling her not to, Eddie spoke again.

"And what about Mollie? Does she actually know who her dad is?"

"I don't think even Julie knows."

"Might be something we need to change."

A silence fell until something seemed to reoccur to Rachel.

"Oh god, Eddie," Rachel sighed as she placed her head in her hands, "when Philip told me… it made me realise… or you know, think about… who might be encouraging Melissa to threaten Julie."

"Max."

Rachel nodded, already feeling another sigh on the horizon.

"The little…"

Rachel raised her eyebrows at him in slight amusement. That was one of the things she loved about being with Eddie. They could always put a smile on one another's faces if necessary. Just to stop their moods from completely hitting rock bottom.

It worked and they both smiled slightly for a moment.

"Sitting here trying to think of a creative insult. But I don't think anything can top _knob the builder_."

Rachel giggled now and she could tell that Eddie was glad that he could distract her. Even if it only was for a few blissful seconds.

"Let's just hope Max Tyler isn't Stuart Hordley the second then."

She had said it as a joke, however meaningful for her. But from Eddie's expression, he had detected the hint of anxiousness in her tone.

It was just then that he made the short journey around her desk to where she was sitting. Eddie took hold of Rachel's hands, pulling her up until they were facing one another.

His hand came up to brush the loose strand of hair behind her ear. Instead of removing his touch, Eddie's soft palm remained lovingly on the side of her neck. With his free hand, Eddie took Rachel's in his own, already beginning to brush the back of it with his thumb.

"I know what you said. That we need to focus on Philip, and you're right. We do. But you have to look after yourself too Rachel. Just like I'm going to look after you."

She was blinking furiously now, willing the threatening tears not to fall. But Eddie's words were so heartfelt, and so truthful, that Rachel couldn't stop the lone tear that ran down her cheek.

Eddie's head titled, the hand resting on her neck coming up to brush the tear away. She shut her eyes under his touch, feeling herself relax straightaway. Even if it would be short lived, Rachel reminded herself of everything that Eddie had said to her in recent weeks. She knew that he loved her, and he wasn't going anywhere. He would always be there to support her and care for her. Just like Rachel would be for him. They were a team.

Apparently, Eddie had read her mind and intended to emphasise this.

He lifted up their hands that were already linked, so that they were visible to them both.

"You're not doing this alone. We are a team, me and you. Okay?"

Rachel couldn't resist falling into Eddie's arms now. Her arms came up to scoop under his shoulders, resting her palms upon his back. Whilst Eddie's own arms wrapped securely around her waist. One of his hands already began to smooth up and down her back, as she rested her head on his chest.

"We will tackle Max. And whatever else he throws at us."

Eddie planted a kiss atop of her head before resting his own against it. She hoped that he felt her nod before she spoke her next words.

"I love you so much."

"And I love you."

They pulled back from one another slightly, still keeping their arms respectively wrapped around each other.

"It might be… difficult to know where to start. But why don't you give Julie a call or go and see her. Might be a good place to begin."

Rachel nodded, "I think you're right, she needs to know. I mean… we don't know what Max and Melissa are planning… but it's bound to be something. This has to be some sort of… revenge or… or I don't know…"

"And we will cover all grounds. Just think, if your sister wanted this to be a big reveal, that's out the window. We are one step ahead of them."

Rachel looked at Eddie and raised her eyebrows as if to say _that's true._ She had noticed how he barely ever said Melissa now, instead saying 'your sister' or 'your mum' (when talking to Philip). She knew Eddie well enough to know that this was entirely purposeful. She guessed that he couldn't bring himself to say it. After everything she had done, Rachel didn't blame him. She herself had to gulp down the anger whenever she spoke Melissa's name.

Rachel looked up at Eddie as he repeated his earlier action of brushing her hair behind her ear, before bringing her into another much needed embrace.

….

It was as Rachel was approaching Julie's front door for the second time that week, that she wished she'd accepted Eddie's offer to join her. He had been persistent, but Rachel wanted him to be there for Philip. If she was in his position, she wouldn't have wanted to be on her own. They needed to show their support for him.

Rachel couldn't really comprehend why she was nervous. She actually felt completely comfortable around Julie. Maybe it was just the fact she would have to repeat what Philip had told her. A task that wouldn't prove easy. And of course it would lead to more revelations for Mollie. Rachel's niece and nephew really were having a tough time of it. Naturally she would be there for Philip, but Rachel also hoped to try and hold out a helping hand for Mollie too.

"Hi… Rachel! I wasn't expecting to see you?"

Rachel smiled rather awkwardly. She felt awful to break Julie's obvious happy mood, but this had to be done.

"Is Mollie there with you?" She tilted her head slightly to look over Julie's shoulder. Searching for any sign of the girl.

It was when Rachel saw Julie's expression change. A flicker of concern was clear as she began to speak.

"No, she's with friends. Look, is everything alright? What's happened?"

"Could I… just come in for a moment?"

Rachel noted how Julie's worry only grew when she avoided her questions. She nodded curtly before opening the door and gesturing for Rachel to follow her through to the living room.

This was all starting to become far too familiar. Fragments of the conversation had in the room earlier in the week flashed across Rachel's mind. She wished that, unlike before, it wasn't her disclosing a revelation.

Julie refrained from offering Rachel a drink as she had done two days prior. It just showed how much she wanted to know what was going on. Because it was bound to be obvious by now that this was no social call.

"Is it Melissa, has she been in touch with you too?"

"Not exactly," Rachel began, taking a seat next to Julie, "do you remember… what I told you about Mollie's father?"

Julie nodded, "about what he used to do to Philip?"

Rachel too nodded, subconsciously playing with the watch on her wrist, "am I right in thinking that Mollie knows nothing of her father?"

"When I was telling her about… well about everything that happened. And you, and Philip. She asked but I just said I didn't know anything. Maybe a mum who paid someone else to look after her and a dad who used to abuse her little brother would have been too much to handle all in one go."

Rachel half smiled in understanding, sighing, "no… of course it would be. I guess I'm here to return your earlier favour of a heads up."

Julie tilted her head and Rachel saw this as a signal to continue.

"You will have received a letter about a merger taking place, commencing after the Easter break. The local education authority has made the decision to… appoint an executive headteacher."

Julie closed her eyes, perhaps not liking where this was going, "I don't get it. What does this have to do with Mollie's dad?"

Rachel could tell that Julie just wanted to know. To get it over and done with. So she decided to be blunt about it.

"He is Mollie's father."

"Oh you've got to be joking."

"No… it's no joke."

"I don't believe this."

"I know. I also found it difficult to… wrap my head around."

Julie exhaled sharply, running a shaky hand through her hair.

"I meant to tell you this earlier. On the phone. I was thinking about how Melissa and Mollie's dad… as much as I don't want to call him that...are back together."

All of a sudden Rachel knew where Julie was going with this. It had been something that she herself was going to bring up. Because it just made so much sense that Max would have had a say in the way that Melissa was threatening Julie. If he had, maybe it would be another thing they could have against him. But still, no solid evidence. That's what they needed.

"I gather that, you might be thinking what I'm thinking."

"That Max is the one telling her to threaten me? To get his daughter back. My daughter. And now… all of this… him coming here," Julie sighed, "great minds think alike."

Rachel's eyebrows raised, "something like that."

"Have you thought about going to the police? About Philip. There's no way he would have even been allowed to teach in the first place if that was common knowledge."

"Spoke about it for the most part of this afternoon with Eddie."

"Eddie?" Julie questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

Rachel cursed herself. That was a mistake, but a natural one. She should have forced herself to say the deputy head. It was just another example of how she actually felt comfortable around Julie.

"The deputy head," Rachel spoke swiftly, "a force of habit."

"So what's the deal with you two then?"

"Sorry?"

Rachel was sure that, if she did have a drink, then she would have most certainly spluttered on it.

"You and Eddie. The deputy head. He's very supportive of you."

It was weird but nice in the way that Julie was being with her. Strangely reminded Rachel of Melissa the few times that they actually got on well. She could see how the conversation had steered off topic, but maybe she trusted Julie enough to talk to her about this.

"He's a good deputy."

"And… am I a fool to think that there's something more?"

The smile on Julie's face made Rachel smile too. Which she quickly realised wouldn't go in her favour. Julie was actually reminding her a little of Steph now too. Except, it wasn't prying or sticking her nose in. Rachel was glad that she and Julie were actually building up a friendship from all of this.

"Between you and I… no, you aren't. You could say it's early days between Eddie and I. But I think we both know that there's been… something there for longer than that. In all seriousness, is it that obvious?"

Julie laughed now. It was odd how easily they had veered off topic, given how serious the Max situation could become. But Rachel was glad that Julie felt at ease with her. She would say that the feeling was mutual.

"It's obvious with the way he was looking at you. No man's ever looked at me like that. The other day, you could just tell that he wanted to comfort you for the whole conversation."

Rachel couldn't stop the slight blush that rose on her cheeks. She loved the way that Eddie was with her, and the fact that others could see that without knowing of their relationship, just emphasised how consistent his support was.

"Don't worry. My lips are sealed."

"I knew they would be. I'm quite… a private person. So you know I wouldn't have told you if I didn't trust you."

Julie smiled, "not sure how this conversation has gone completely off track. Anything and everything to distract myself," she paused, "I need to tell Mollie."

"I suppose it's better than the alternative," Rachel shrugged, "I don't know about you but I don't think Max approaching Mollie in the corridor would be the best of scenarios."

"No," she shook her head, "she would hate me like she hates her real mum. She said the other day that she didn't care and just wanted me to be honest with her."

"Try not to be too harsh on yourself, or overthink too much. I of all people… know how damaging that has the potential to be."

"What are you gonna do though? What next?"

"Honestly? I don't know. I just think that I really need… to focus on Philip right now. And I want you to know that I'm there for Mollie too, if she needs me."

"Thanks Rachel. She told me she spoke to Philip today."

Rachel nodded, "Philip mentioned that too. I just hope that, you know, they continue to. They've got a lot of catching up to do."

Julie smiled before her expression changed. Rachel could tell that her mind had once again averted to Max and what they were going to do about him.

"He's not going to be able to keep up his executive head act forever. You're just gonna have to wait till he slips up. Can't see another way out of this that won't make things worse."

"Maybe that is the most sensible option until we figure something out. I just... can't bear the thought of what he's capable of. And not only that, what my sister is capable of. I can imagine the toxic combination that they must be."

"You need to listen to your own advice. Stop overthinking."

Rachel smiled as they both stood up. It just seemed like a natural end to her visit.

"You guys should pop over in the Easter break. Philip and Mollie can talk more. You could get to know her too."

Rachel turned as she reached the door. She was glad that Julie brought it up as she was going to if she hadn't. For Rachel, it seemed right that she should build up some sort of relationship with Mollie. Especially before next term. Because she was definitely going to need someone to turn to at school.

Rachel's phone began to buzz after she had agreed to Julie's suggestion. The call was from Eddie and she could even tell herself that her expression had just lit up.

"That Eddie?" Julie said with a smirk on her face.

"I find myself asking once again if it is really that obvious."

They shared a laugh and a goodbye before Rachel picked up the call. The situation with Max was far from resolved. They all still had a long way to go, and Rachel and Eddie would have a long term ahead of them. But as Eddie began to speak, the care and love that never failed to calm her was evident.

No, the situation wasn't resolved. But it would be. In due course.


	34. Not My Parents

_Thank you for the reviews. _

_Please enjoy :) x_

Chapter 34: Not My Parents

It wasn't until the back end of the Easter break that they all found a time to meet up. Rachel and Eddie had spent a lot of time with Michael over the break. Something that would be treasured by them both. Rachel had absolutely loved getting to know the young boy more, and was glad that he had taken a shining to her too.

When they found a free day all round, Julie's garden happened to be the best place for it. The weather was the best they'd had so far all year, so it was enjoyable to just be able to sit and soak up some April sun. Even if the thought of returning to school in two days was looming over Rachel. And Eddie for that matter.

But it wasn't just returning to school. Rachel couldn't remember a time when she felt repulsed at the thought of going to work. She loved her job. Perhaps a period where she came close to not wanting to go in, was the peak of Eddie and Melissa's relationship. Yet nothing could compare to the sheer fear that she felt at what could be thrown at them in this upcoming term.

Although Rachel did have completely contrasting emotions. It was nice to see how well they were all getting on. And how comfortable they had actually become with one another. Julie had let slip to her when they had been on the phone earlier in the week, that she and Mollie had only ever really had each other. Which just made Rachel even more glad that they had all built up relationships in such a short space of time.

She glanced to her left and realised that she and Mollie were the only two sitting on the patio. With Philip and Eddie kicking around a football, and Julie in the kitchen getting another set of drinks, Rachel saw it as a golden opportunity to talk to her a little more.

She didn't realise that Mollie might've had the same idea. As Rachel opened her mouth to talk, the girl's mouth formed into a smile, before she began to speak herself.

"What am I supposed to call you at school then? Rachel or Miss Mason?"

It hadn't been the conversation starter that Rachel was expecting. But she found herself joining in to laugh with Mollie. She just kept reminding her of Melissa. Even more today with how confident she had been.

"Somehow I think you should stick with the latter."

"Yeah," Mollie laughed, "if this Max guy is gonna be snooping around."

Rachel tilted her head at Mollie, trying to work out if Julie had talked to her about her dad properly. Julie said that she was going to, but Rachel hadn't yet gotten the opportunity to ask her about it. She didn't want to reveal anything that Julie hadn't.

Mollie seemed to sense her apprehension, "I know who he is. Just don't wanna call him dad. Saying _this_ _Max guy _makes it seem less real somehow."

"That's understandable."

"He's never been a dad to me. Never will. But what am I supposed to do if he wants something to do with me?"

Rachel was shocked but happy at how quickly Mollie had begun to open up. She felt utterly pleased that the girl obviously felt comfortable to confide in her. These were an invaluable couple of minutes.

That could mean that Mollie would be far more open to approach Rachel with worries in coming weeks. Something that Rachel had been wanting to achieve. She was sure that the girl might need someone to turn to at school with Max on the scene. And she would have Philip and Eddie too. Something that Rachel had found comforting for herself in the past few weeks.

"It's always going to be your choice Mollie. No one can force you into anything. Your mum, Mr Lawson, Philip and I… all of us. We aren't going to let that happen."

Mollie glanced down at her lap. It was the first time since Rachel had been in her company, that she looked vulnerable. As if the confidence had disappeared temporarily somehow. Rachel wondered what was on her mind, and hoped that she was going to be privy to it. Just so she could offer a helping hand.

"Is he coming to Waterloo Road because of me?"

Rachel sighed, thoughtful for a moment, "look love," she began, shifting closer to her niece slightly, "I don't want you to think for one second that any of this is your fault. Because it's actually far from it. In fact, the blame is the furthest it could possibly be from you."

Mollie smiled now. It was the most wonderful thing for Rachel to see in that moment, because it was so very genuine. And once again, she was reminded of an eleven year old Melissa. Rachel just had to ignore the sense of regret that sprang to mind as she thought over how broken her relationship with Melissa was. They had endured many falling outs and disputes over the years, but Rachel had always been able to see a way out of it. Just she didn't see a way back from this. The damage was done, it was irreversible.

"Is Melissa really as much of a cow as she seems?"

Rachel failed to suppress a chuckle of laughter. She was subconsciously thinking that she shouldn't condone that kind of insult. But Rachel wasn't about to cut off how well Mollie had been opening up so far.

"Oh she's not all bad. Melissa...has made some questionable decisions in the past. And she finds it difficult to learn from her mistakes. But it doesn't make her a bad person."

Even as Rachel spoke the last sentence, her own mind was questioning the statement.

_Doesn't it? _

"Even though I know she's my birth mum, and even if I did end up in touch with her… I don't think I'd ever see her as my real mum. Because that role is already taken. That's how I see it anyway."

Rachel couldn't help but smile again as she listened to what Mollie had to say. It was down to how similar her words were to what Julie had said, on the first day Rachel met her. Just showed how close they were and what an unbreakable bond they had. Something Rachel knew Mollie would never have with Melissa. Rachel had to refrain from shaking her head as she wondered, not for the first time, how her sister could have ever thrown any chance of a relationship with her daughter out of the window.

"I know that she loves you very much."

From the smile and nod of agreement that Mollie gave, Rachel hoped that she had managed to discard some of her niece's worries. And she also hoped that the girl would feel able to come to her about anything, inside of school or out.

It was in a case of perfect timing that Julie reappeared from the back door with the drinks.

"Two lemonades."

Julie made eye contact with Rachel as she said her thanks. She could just tell by the look in her eye that she was wondering how her conversation with Mollie had gone. Rachel hoped that Julie would be able to judge that from the smile she gave her. Although she was sure it was something they would talk about later.

"Looks like they're having a good two man football game," Julie nodded towards Eddie and Philip as she retook her seat.

Rachel laughed, glad that Mollie did too.

"I can't actually be sure who's winning."

It was then that Philip and Eddie turned to face them, both with smiles on their faces. Rachel was pleased that her eyes met Eddie's. She could tell that he wanted to question how things had gone with Mollie, Rachel had seen his gaze flicking towards her during her conversation with the girl. His distraction was probably one of the reasons why Philip had tackled him to the ground a good few times. Another thing which Rachel couldn't help but find amusing.

It was a settling feeling, to know that they were facing whatever happened at school together. The unknown was getting to Rachel now. Not knowing what her sister had planned, or what Max's true intentions were. It was something that would put Rachel's mind into overdrive for the foreseeable future. But knowing that she could have a few moments to switch off with Eddie by her side, was something that Rachel took great comfort in.

….

It hadn't gone unnoticed for Eddie how much more relaxed Rachel seemed after their visit to Julie's. Of course he knew that she would still be worried about what the upcoming term would hold. He was too. But Eddie hoped he was right to think that she felt reassured with the people around her. Just like he couldn't be happier with Rachel by his side.

He hadn't yet found a proper chance to ask her about how things went with Mollie. So as Rachel pulled the covers back in their bed, and instantly laid her head on his chest, Eddie grasped a perfect opportunity.

He brought a hand up to run through Rachel's hair, smiling when her own arm draped across his chest.

"Did it go well with Mollie then?"

"As well as expected I think. I do think she knows that I'm there for her. And she did seem, you know, fairly comfortable when talking to me."

"That's good then?" Eddie half questioned, sensing a but.

Rachel looked up at him, which was an awkward angle given their positions. But welcome, because looking into her eyes always was.

"Mollie reminds me a lot of Melissa."

"She does look a lot like her."

"It's her confidence as well. Just with the way Mollie was with me after only a few hours."

"And you weren't ready to be reminded of that just yet?"

"I just think… it reminded me of the relationship Melissa and I once had. We've never been you know, overly close. Although having said that, we've always bounced back from disagreements. I just can't see that happening this time."

"That's natural that you'd want to have a relationship with her. She's your little sister Rachel. I get that nothing is really going to change that."

"I sense a but," she smiled slightly, and Eddie couldn't help but return it.

It was just the way that he had endured the exact same thought process just minutes previous. They were similar in a lot of ways as well as completely different in others. But it just showed how well they could read one another. Which had to be one of the main strengths in their relationship amongst other things.

"Just, don't blame yourself, Rachel. If things don't bounce back like you say. I know you, and I know that you will. But try not to. For me."

He watched as a smile broke out on her lips and her eyes gazed across his face, "most definitely for you."

There was only one thing for Eddie to do next. He leant forwards to kiss her, and soon the majority of conscious thoughts had subsided. Rachel giggled as he ended up on top of her, and Eddie couldn't help but laugh himself. He had never been this happy in his life, and that was all down to Rachel. Eddie too was feeling uncertain about what Max and potentially Melissa would bring. But he was certain about one thing.

Nothing would ever get in the way of his and Rachel's relationship, and their love for one another. Not again, not after the year they'd had.


	35. Rumours Spread Like Wildfire

_Thank you for the reviews. _

_Obviously I've done the whole merger earlier than it happens in the show. And obviously Eddie is still there... so I will just have Chris as a science teacher, if i do include him in some chapters._

_Hope you enjoy :) x_

Chapter 35: Rumours Spread Like Wildfire

"Yeah… come in."

Rachel entered Philip's room upon getting his approval. It was the night before school began, and more crucially, the night before Max Tyler made his appearance at Waterloo Road. Rachel just wanted to check how her nephew was coping. She had an inkling that he had become rather good at concealing his emotions over the two week holiday.

"Just wanted to check up on you. See how things are going?"

Rachel found it strange how Philip chuckled, shifting uncomfortably at his desk. It just reinforced how he didn't want to reveal the true extent of how he was feeling. Something that Rachel wanted to change. Philip hadn't been averse to opening up before the set-back of Max's appointment. The last thing Rachel wanted was for Philip to feel as if his feelings were a burden to her or to Eddie.

"Same old me."

"And what would that be?" Rachel questioned lightly with a smile, taking a perch on his bed.

She wasn't going to back down on this one. The fact that Philip was one of her main priorities still stood strong. Utterly unwavered.

"Well… you know me," Philip breathed nervously.

"Yes," she paused, "I do. So I know when something is not quite right," another pause, this time to meet the boy's eyes. Rachel needed him to know she meant every word of this, "talk to me, Philip. Don't push me away. You should know by now that things become easier when you don't bottle them up."

Philip silenced himself for a long moment. Far longer than Rachel had been expecting. But she would wait forever if need be. She could tell that Philip was thoughtful, perhaps thinking of what to say… or what not to say. Hopefully this was a sign that he was about to confide in his aunt once more, and not push her away.

"I don't want… to go to school. Thing is… even when, you know… the name calling and all that. I'm used to that. And even when that was all going on… I still wanted to go. But this…"

Philip shook his head and put it in his hands. Rachel had suspected this but it just showed how much he had been holding back. She wanted to comfort Philip and show her support, yet she could tell he had more to say. So for now, Rachel settled for a sympathetic smile with hopes of encouraging him to continue opening up.

"It's like… as a kid. I didn't really… understand how bad it was. But when I got older, what he did affects me more," he brought his head up, looking at Rachel to forcefully smile, "weird right?"

"Not at all Philip," Rachel shook her own head, willing herself to stay strong. She wanted to act as if seeing Philip so upset hadn't had an affect on her. He didn't need to be witness to that, "there's nothing more I could do… to stop him from coming to Waterloo Road. And for that… I'm so sorry. Philip, you shouldn't be having to go through this."

He smiled now. It was genuine and Rachel wondered what he was thinking or what he was about to say next.

"How many times? Rach… stop saying sorry."

"Now you sound like Eddie. Telling me to stop being hard on myself."

"Is that really a bad thing?"

"No it's not… not at all."

"Then just listen to us."

Rachel let out a laugh, "well I'd like to know how on earth this conversation has turned into you giving me support, rather than the opposite."

"Just… can I give tomorrow a miss?"

"This is a really… difficult situation Philip. I can't allow you to get into, you know, habits of not going to school. Especially because of Max bloody Tyler of all people."

Philip looked up at her and Rachel could tell how desperate he was. He wasn't ready to see the man who hit him all those years ago. She could understand that more than she'd ever care to admit. Philip went to speak and Rachel knew that she had to get her but in before he did.

"But… I can see just how much you're working yourself up over this."

This time there was hope in Philip's eyes. Rachel's heart was breaking. But she was also furious. And what angered her even more, was that the man who was causing all this pain was a teacher. And not just any old teacher, he was an executive head. Coming to Waterloo Road whether she likes it or not.

Rachel shook herself mentally, bringing herself back to the present with Philip looking at her expectantly.

"You could just miss assembly? Unfortunately Mr Tyler will be joining us for that first thing, but I am sort of hoping that he won't show his face too much after that. He has got other schools in the area to oversee."

He nodded briefly, glancing at the floor and back up to Rachel.

"I just need this to stop. I don't… want to face him. I don't… want to see him."

"I honestly think… that the best thing we can do right now is minimise the chances of that. Aside from assembly, it's unlikely that you'll even bump into him. You know, he might even be gone after lunch."

Philip raised his eyebrows. Rachel wasn't sure of the message behind that. It was either a sarcastic '_really'_ or a genuine one.

As their conversation moved on slightly, Rachel just hoped with all her heart that she had just spoken that into existence. She hadn't even met Max Tyler yet. But she'd heard an awful lot about him. Already, Rachel was willing to not have to spend more than a few mere hours with him.

Maybe she would just have to accept that things had to get worse before they got better.

….

"And here we go again," Eddie smiled across at Rachel before he went to unlock the front door.

The weak smile that she responded with, had Eddie backtracking however. Rachel seemed to have been distracting herself from the topic of Max Tyler for the most part of the morning so far. She had spoken of anything but, so much so that Eddie hadn't found a chance to reassure her one more time.

He had ended up thinking it better to avoid the topic until absolutely necessary, but having seen her show the first sign of apprehension now, Eddie wasn't about to ignore it.

He turned on his heel, taking a step closer to Rachel before dropping his briefcase. His hand was brought up to her shoulder, and a puzzled look settled on her face. Maybe Rachel hadn't meant to let her façade down so easily. She must have been temporarily forgetting how well he can read her.

"Eddie… we are going to be late," Rachel whispered before he even managed to put the right words together.

"We aren't," he smiled, "you always leave enough time to spare. Besides, you are more important."

Rachel glanced down, breaking her gaze from his.

Eddie hooked a light finger under her chin. He knew that his expression would show just how sincere his support was, so wanted Rachel to be witness to that.

"I appreciate your support Eddie, I really do. But we can't exactly give Max Tyler another reason to hate us. You know, he hasn't even met me before and yet he will already have a dislike for me. I don't think Melissa will have said anything too pleasant."

Eddie sighed. He despised what this was doing to Rachel, how it was making her feel. At least he knew that Max's feelings towards them were mutual. Because Eddie certainly hated him, with a passion.

"If you're that worried, we will talk and drive. Don't push me away Rachel."

She took a step closer to him now, bringing her own hands up to rest upon his chest. Eddie watched as understanding followed by guilt flashed across her eyes. His stomach churned. Eddie hadn't meant to make Rachel feel guilty by asking her to not push him away. He just needed to emphasise that his support was still there. That she didn't need to bottle everything up as she had been for the past twenty four hours or so.

"Oh Eddie, I'm sorry. It's just… well I didn't even realise that I was you know, shutting you out and - ''

"No Rachel, I'm sorry. Forget I said it. Just, I wanted you to know that I'm still here for you. That I'm always here for you."

"And of course I do know that. It's one of the many things I love about you."

He smiled and he was glad to see that her expression had now softened.

"For some… unknown reason, I thought it might be a good idea to ignore thoughts of Max Tyler completely. But it's not exactly working."

Eddie was about to respond but he sensed that Rachel had something else to say.

"The talk and drive suggestion? I think that sounds like a way to calm my racing thoughts."

They shared a smile and Eddie was slightly relieved that Rachel wasn't continuing to bottle everything up. He knew that it was one of the worst things to do, and he just hoped that his reassurances would be enough to keep any doubts that Max may plant in her mind away.

….

Everything that they'd ended up talking about in the car, had helped Rachel. Of course it had, Eddie always seemed to know exactly what to say. But with Max not already in the hall as she walked up on stage for assembly, Rachel knew that she would be on edge the entire time.

She was glad that Eddie had taken his place on the front row along with the other staff. The reassuring, loving smile that he gave her as their eyes locked, just reinforced everything already spoken about for Rachel.

As she looked out onto the student body, it was rather strange to see all the unfamiliar faces from John Fosters. And then Rachel spotted Mollie, who gave her a smile. Along with Eddie's encouragement, it was exactly what she needed to get started with her opening lines.

Rachel had said her good mornings and was beginning to delve into new faces, staff and students alike, when she heard the door to the hall open.

Even before she looked up, she knew who it would be. It just felt surreal, that she disliked this man so much already and she had never even spoken to him. Or seen him in the flesh for that matter. Rachel couldn't imagine what Mollie must be feeling, to see her stranger of a father walk in through those doors. She just had to be glad that Philip was missing assembly. Max's grand entrance wouldn't have done him any good.

"Thought I'd come and introduce myself to my new pupils."

Rachel felt frozen to the spot as she let the words wash over her. In particular '_my pupils.'_ He was referring to the Waterloo Road students who he wasn't familiar with. It was as if all Rachel's fears had come true at once. The only thing to make it worse would be if her sister followed him through the door. But Rachel couldn't let this show to the students or staff. Or Max Tyler for that matter.

She allowed herself to glance over at Eddie one last time. He wasn't smiling now, or looking at her. His eyes were boring into the back of Max's head. The last time she saw that look was when he punched Stuart Hordley.

As Rachel brought her eyes back up to Max, she noticed that the majority of Waterloo Road staff were looking on at her concernedly. It just showed she hadn't imagined it. Max really had just referred to the students of this school as '_my pupils.' _

When she shook his hand, he squeezed it that little bit too tightly, held onto it for that little bit too long. The steely look in his eyes - which was only visible to her - told Rachel that he knew exactly who she was. As they'd feared, this was absolutely no coincidence. Max was here for a purpose other than to further his career.

The next five or so minutes passed by in a blur. Rachel vaguely remembered Max taking complete control, to the point where she was stood in the corner of the stage, watching on. She couldn't get a word in edgeways.

It wasn't until staff and students began to stand that Rachel was snapped back to the present.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel could see Eddie hovering as Max approached her. In fact, he was walking towards them now, up the steps to the stage. She knew he would have a class to teach, but also knew of everything that Eddie had promised. Knowing him, he wouldn't be leaving her alone with Max anytime soon.

"Eddie Lawson, deputy head."

It certainly wasn't Eddie's usual friendly greeting, the icy tone said as much. And she could tell that the handshake was slightly tougher than it would normally be.

"Yes. I've heard a lot about you."

_Bet you have. _Rachel knew that Max was referring to knowledge from Melissa. Obviously he wasn't about to admit that anytime soon. His plan was obviously to keep up the pretence of being a stranger for as long as possible. Unless he was clever enough to work out that they were in the know.

It was the only explanation for his little comment. As she shared a glance with Eddie, Rachel could tell he was thinking the exact same thing.

"If you don't mind, Eddie. I'd like a word with Rachel here, in private."

Almost immediately, Eddie stood taller, shoving his hands in his pockets. It was a sure sign that he wasn't going anywhere, and it unnerved Rachel to think about how Max might react to that.

"I'm sure whatever you want to say to me can be said to Eddie too, Max. He is my deputy after all."

"I'll stick by what I said. I'd like to speak with Rachel in private," Max spoke, directing his words at Eddie even though it was Rachel who he should be responding to, "so if you don't mind."

Max tilted his head towards the door, and smiled smugly. Rachel stole a glance at Eddie, who was looking more angered than she'd ever seen him before. He looked back at her, trying to portray some form of reassurance in his eyes. Because she knew that he had no choice, he would have to go, as requested by Max.

With one final glare at Max, Eddie turned and left, almost yanking the door off of its hinges as he swung it open.

A silence fell for a moment, and Rachel found herself gulping down a lump in her throat before turning to Max.

"Now, I wasn't aware that the head and deputy had to be joint at the hip."

Rachel frowned at Max and cocked her head, unsure and wary of where he was going with this.

"But of course that changes when he's more than a deputy, doesn't it?"

"How do you - ''

"Rumours here spread like wildfire."

Rachel knew that it wasn't just the rumours. It was Melissa. Her sister. This act of revenge or manipulation would be as much her doing as Max's.

"Now I hope that's not going to affect your professionalism. Or I will have to look at alternative options."

"Absolutely not. Our professionalism has always been maintained. There is… no reason for it to be called into question."

"Good. We won't be having any problems then, will we?"

Even as Rachel forced her smile and muttered '_not at all,' _she knew it was as far from the truth as they could possibly get. Because Max _was_ going to cause problems. Rachel just had to keep telling herself that Eddie was there for her, even if he wasn't always going to be there physically.

She wanted to say something else to Max, she was itching to reveal what they knew about him. How he was Mollie's father, how he used to hit Philip all those years ago. Would Max ever show his true self? If Melissa had anything to do with it, then it was extremely likely. She was always one for shocking revelations. Except it wouldn't be a shock, something which Rachel strangely took a small amount of comfort in. The fact that she and Eddie were one step ahead of them, gave Rachel the strength to pull herself together and apply her head teacher's mask once more.


	36. Unstoppable Anger

_Thank you for the reviews. _

_Please enjoy :) x_

Chapter 36: Unstoppable Anger

Eddie didn't think that he had ever been so angry. By the end of his first lesson, he could still feel his heart pounding in his chest. The way Eddie felt was on par with how he was after Stuart and his little comments. Except this was worse, because he hadn't had the opportunity to whack Max one. Not yet anyway.

It boiled his blood to think that Rachel needed him, and he couldn't be there, all because of that man. He was glad when the bell sounded for break. Finally he could locate Rachel and hopefully put his own mind at rest as well as hers. Aside from going crazy with Max, she had been all Eddie had been able to think about. Was she okay? What had Max said to her? Did Max know that his role as a father was no secret to him and Rachel?

As soon as the last pupil fled from the classroom, Eddie sought out to find Rachel. She was likely to be in her office, so he headed there as a first resort.

He didn't knock as he reached the door, Rachel had become familiar with him popping in and out of the office by now.

The sight Eddie was met with, just wound him up even further. Max was sitting at Rachel's desk, in her chair, whilst she was perched on the circular table in the corner of the room.

Was this man for real?

Rachel's eyes met his, and Eddie sort of knew exactly what he was going to say. It was time to give Max Tyler a taste of his own medicine. Play him at his own game.

"Mr Tyler. If you don't mind, I'd like a word with Rachel," Eddie paused as Max finally locked eyes with him, "in private."

Eddie had been anticipating some sort of response, an argument back from Max. So to his surprise, the man just stood, and brushed down his suit. The smirk was visible on his face. Max turned to face Rachel and it shattered Eddie to see the way she automatically tensed up.

"I'm sure you'll remember what I said."

Before Rachel could even respond, Max was out of the office, closing the door behind him.

Rachel reacted immediately, placing her head in her hands and sighing. As much as it broke Eddie's heart to see her like that, he was glad that she wasn't holding anything back. She obviously felt able to show every one of her true emotions in that moment. Eddie was just glad that his reassurance that morning had paid off.

He shifted his own position, coming to sit directly next to Rachel. Eddie brought a hand up to the back of her head, with his other laying gently on her arm. Rachel melted into his embrace and Eddie welcomed it, wrapping his arms around her lovingly. He wanted to show her that he would never let her go.

As much as Eddie could have basked in the blissful feeling of holding Rachel in his arms, there was one question in particular which was circulating in his mind.

"What was he on about?"

Rachel looked up at him, slightly confused.

"The 'I'm sure you'll remember what I said' comment.''

She smiled at his impersonation of Max, but it didn't even reach her eyes. She looked defeated and lost for hope. Eddie longed to reignite that faith, but maybe go and sort Max out first. Eddie wasn't sure how long he could refrain from connecting his fist with Max's face. But he knew that he would have to. As Rachel had said, the last thing she needed was for Eddie to go all macho.

"I think this is only going to make you more angry."

"That obvious?"

"Eddie, I can practically feel your blood boiling."

"He's just… really gotten under my skin. There's something about the bloke."

"I haven't exactly taken a shining to him either."

Eddie made some sort of noise in agreement, before realising that Rachel was chewing her lip nervously rather than answering his question. It obviously was going to make him even more furious. Eddie just had to keep in mind what was at stake if he flipped his lid just yet.

"So, what did he say?"

"Our professionalism was called into question."

Eddie felt his brows furrow, and knew that the gesture was a question in itself.

"He knows about us, Eddie. Our relationship."

"The git. Let me guess, Melissa?"

"Apparently not. Something along the lines of 'rumours spreading like wildfire.' Although I think my sister is the more plausible explanation."

"You were right. I'm livid."

Rachel lifted her head and raised her eyebrows. Had it not been for her in his arms, Eddie didn't think he would have been able to resist finding Max and telling him where to stuff it.

"Unprofessional? He wants to take a long hard look at himself. _My pupils? _Not exactly professional of him."

"I've already had numerous staff, new and old, believe it or not… asking me if he is replacing my role as head teacher."

"So thanks to him, you're left with a load of questions to answer. Great, that's just what you need piled on top of everything else."

"I just… I don't know what he's going to do next Eddie."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he's not giving anything away. About who he really is…. Melissa's boyfriend, Mollie's dad. We are obviously aware of that, but Max doesn't know. So he's got to have a plan of some sort."

"And you're worried that Melissa will be involved."

"Exactly."

"We are just gonna have to go with everything we've said. The only way we are going to stop Max, without causing a riot, is to catch him out. He's bound to slip up sooner or later. Just look at him today, already behaving like a maniac."

"Yes. And we will sort it, won't we?"

"Absolutely."

"Together?"

"Always. You know that, and I know that."

Eddie thought that Rachel might've been about to lean in for a kiss, but there was a knock on the door and she put a little bit of space between them. Eddie knew that it was due to what Max had said, about being unprofessional. Just in case it was him behind the door. Although Eddie doubted that he would've knocked.

It was Kim who entered, looking rather urgent and panicked.

"Max sent me to get you. I don't think the tension is limited to this office. A fight involving the majority of pupils is in full swing outside."

Rachel and Eddie shared a glance and were following Kim out of the office and down the corridor within seconds. With one last look at Rachel, Eddie had an awful inkling that this was only going to be the start of disasters this term. And Kim was right, the conflict wasn't just going to be between the students.

….

"From what I've seen today, this school is an absolute shambles."

Rachel could feel the scowl forming on her face as she looked up at Max. It was how he was stood up and she was sat down that she hated the most. That was soon changed, and only when Rachel was pretty much level with him did she respond to his statement.

"What is it that you're saying Max?"

"I'm saying, that you aren't capable of running this school alone. I'll be focusing my efforts on Waterloo Road for the foreseeable future."

"You can't… base your judgement on one day. Today was a worst case scenario, there was bound to be some conflict with mixing two completely contrasting school cultures."

"Oh Rachel, don't flatter yourself. The problems in this school lie with the leader, and that's you. So I stand by my decision, from now on I will be based at Waterloo Road permanently."

"You really have got it in for me haven't you?"

"Or maybe I just know an incapable leader when I see one."

She scoffed, hating how Max was making her feel and wishing that Eddie didn't have a lesson currently. She knew that if he was in the room she wouldn't be feeling half as humiliated by what Max was saying. Because Eddie never failed to make her feel at ease, his presence alone did that.

"Extended services. How is that going without someone proper in charge of it?"

Rachel almost flinched at his mention of Melissa's old role. It was clear that Max was dropping hints about his and Melissa's relationship here, there and everywhere. She just wondered when and how he was actually going to reveal it. Not that he needed to reveal it. That was one of the main things Rachel was holding onto at the moment. The fact that Max wasn't aware of all they knew.

"I think it's going rather well. Tom Clarkson has taken on a lot of the duties along with his new head of English role."

"I want to reinstate someone who is actually in charge of it. I already know a person who will be more than suitable, so no need for interviews."

"And has the LEA been made aware of this?"

"Naturally. They applaud my decision. It is vital that we make sure the John Fosters community feels included."

The funny thing was, Rachel wholeheartedly agreed with what he was saying about everyone from John Fosters. It was something that she had been wanting to put in place herself. But now Rachel just knew that he would automatically take all the credit for it. Not only that, it was obvious who this 'more than suitable' person would be. Melissa. Who else?

As Max told her that he wanted the head of extended services to come in with immediate effect, it just confirmed that the person had to be Melissa. It had been one of Rachel's fears, that her sister would make an appearance. But it just seemed to be disaster after disaster at the moment. When would this all come to a standstill? And more importantly, how?

….

"And Philip? What about him?" Eddie asked as they took a seat in the living room.

"I'm going to have to go up and talk to him," Rachel sighed as she rubbed her temple, "I just think he's going to be even more reluctant to go to school now. He was already looking on edge at lunch today, the poor lad."

"I can't believe Max has the nerve to just give Melissa back her job. No interviews…" he shook his head, "and the LEA agreed to that?"

"I thought that too. Apparently they approve of his decision."

Eddie rolled his eyes and sighed, "I know you want me to keep my cool, Rach. But that's becoming more and more difficult. When he's having such an effect on you and Philip."

"I'm just glad I've got you by my side," she placed a hand on his arm, "but please try and refrain from showing your anger. I do know how hard it is, god knows, I had to stop myself from screaming at him in my office earlier."

Rachel could tell that he couldn't stop himself from smiling, "now that I'd like to see."

She was about to reply when she heard the phone ring. Rachel sighed as she stood up, hoping that it wouldn't be anything too dramatic considering the day they'd had. Anything seemed possible at the moment.

It was strange to hear a pause as she picked up the phone and said hello. Rachel almost jumped out of her skin when she realised who was on the other end.

"_Hi Rach, enjoy your day?" _

The question from Melissa couldn't have been more sarcastic. And she never called her Rach, that was something that Eddie and Philip had always done, never her. It was just her indirectly saying that she wanted some sort of revenge on Rachel. Melissa clearly saw the last few weeks as Rachel replacing her. But really, she had no one to blame but herself. Especially in terms of Philip. Melissa was the one who abandoned him.

Along with Melissa's tone of voice, Rachel realised that she must be about to reveal everything. Everything that they already knew. So Rachel kind of decided to burst her bubble and get in there first.

"I don't know what you are playing at Melissa, but it has to stop now."

Eddie must have heard Rachel say Melissa, because she could hear his footsteps approaching and was glad that his presence behind her relaxed her instantly. Another thing Rachel heard was a scoff from her sister, and took the opportunity to continue.

"I know exactly who Max Tyler is. I know that he is Mollie's father, that you've entered a relationship with him, despite what he put Philip through all of those years ago. And I know what you did all those years ago too."

Rachel subconsciously hoped that Philip had his headphones in upstairs whilst doing his homework. The last thing they needed was him hearing this conversation. Not when she hadn't found the opportunity to talk to him about the events of the day yet.

"_Did Phil not tell you what I said? He's changed Rach." _

Rachel laughed sarcastically. All of her focus was pinpointed on Max, Melissa couldn't even acknowledge what this might be doing to Philip, "oh Melissa, you can't pull the wool over my eyes. I've seen Max for who he really is today."

"_You don't know him like I do."_

"I take it you are the 'more than suitable' person to reinstate as head of extended services?"

"_What, are you not happy that I'm coming back? Worried I'm going to spoil the wonderful thing you and Eddie have going on?" _

Rachel angled her body towards Eddie slightly, just so that she could look at him. His expression always calmed her and she needed to see it to allow herself to think that everything would be okay. She guessed that Eddie sensed this, because he placed a hand on her arm and Rachel smiled at him before returning her attention back to Melissa.

"A lot has changed since you've been gone Melissa. I just think you need to realise that."

"_Tell me something I don't know." _

"Please will you just think of Philip for a moment? You've got a hell of a lot of making up to do. He's really struggling. And it's not helping with Max being on the scene."

Melissa sighed and Rachel allowed herself to believe for just a few seconds that she might be getting through to her. But of course it would never be that easy with her sister.

"_I've got to go. I have to prepare for tomorrow. So I'll see you then." _

Rachel sighed, muttering some form of goodbye before putting down the phone.

Eddie didn't have to say anything. He placed his arms around her waist and Rachel turned in his arms. She wanted nothing more than to fall into his embrace, so did just that. One hand began to smooth up and down her spine whilst the other anchored her to him.

Rachel buried her face in Eddie's shirt, allowing the first few tears to fall. She couldn't lose Eddie. Despite how sure he made her feel that it wouldn't happen, the doubt was in the back of her mind because of Melissa. Rachel just hoped that she would be able to talk her sister round. Maybe if it was Max influencing her and not the other way round, it would be a possibility. But Rachel wasn't sure which it was at the moment.

The only thing she was certain of was that she loved the man in her arms with all her heart. And the only thing keeping Rachel sane at the moment was the fact that he loved her just as much.


	37. Another Thing to Accept

_Thank you for the reviews._

_This chapter kind of follows the events of series 5 episode 2 ... but kind of doesn't at the same time. You'll understand what I mean when you read it :) _

_Please enjoy x_

Chapter 37: Another Thing to Accept

Even as he walked into school with Bolton and Paul, Philip felt on edge. He hadn't seen Max as of yet, which actually made him even more alert when it came to looking out for him. Philip knew that his two friends were wondering why he was being the way he was. Just he couldn't tell them. He had found it hard enough talking to Rachel about what Max did to him all those years ago. It would be impossible to do the same with Bolton and Paul, no matter what good friends they'd become.

The only thing he had revealed since telling them of Mollie was his mum's return. Because he didn't really have much choice, they were bound to see her sooner or later. And he'd rather come clean than get loads of questions. The thought of Melissa at Waterloo Road again sickened Philip, but he knew that it was something that he would just have to accept.

As they rounded the corner, Philip found himself almost crashing into someone. It was sod's law that it was Melissa. Of course it was her. He really wasn't having much luck at the moment.

Philip saw Bolton and Paul stiffen out of the corner of his eye. Apparently they were feeling just as awkward as he was. Philip knew that he had to talk to his mum, he couldn't just run away when she was centimetres from him. But he also knew that his two friends couldn't be privy to the conversation. Because then they would know everything. Because Max was bound to crop up as a discussion.

"I'll see you two later. Tell Budgen I… had to go back home for homework or something."

They looked slightly torn and Philip was glad that they obviously cared about him. Maybe he would find it in him to tell them about Max one day, but he wasn't ready yet. Something else he just had to accept. They walked away with their usual goodbyes, and as most people started to make their way to registration, Philip and his mum were left more or less alone in the corridor.

From the expression on Melissa's face, she wasn't going to start the conversation. Philip sighed internally. Why did he always have to make amends? Wasn't she meant to be the adult here?

"Wh… why are you here?"

"Head of extended services? Max got me my old job back. Thought Rachel would have told you - ''

"Look, will you just shut up for one second. I already know… all of that, okay?"

"Well then, love… I don't understand?"

He couldn't resist a scoff, "no, you never do."

"I knew Rachel had replaced me but I didn't think she would turn you against me so quickly."

Philip could feel his expression contorting into a scowl, "stop trying to pass the blame mum. For god's sake… this isn't about Rachel. This is about you… leaving me. This is about you… getting back with Mollie's dad…"

"Calm down Philip… we will sort this. I've missed you."

He held a hand up to stop her coming closer, "no don't try that with me… it's not gonna work. It's just not, okay? I mean… what are you doing here? Why are you back?"

"I already told you - ''

"The real reason. Because… we know you've been threatening Julie."

That caught her up short. Melissa's eyes flicked up to his, and she looked thoughtful for the first time in the conversation.

"Mollie's our daughter Phil. What do you expect?"

"No she's not mum. You lost that right when you gave Julie money to look after her. She… she is her mum."

"You really have turned against me now haven't you?"

"Alright… yes!"

They paused, and Philip thought for a split second that Melissa was just going to turn on her heel and walk away. It wouldn't be the first time she had done that to him. She didn't, but it was clear she wasn't going to reply. So Philip took that as a cue to continue. He was on a roll.

"But maybe you should look at yourself instead of blaming Rachel. You left me! And you knew… all that time about what Max… what he did to me. And you didn't say a thing," he paused, "nah...I'm.. I'm done with you mum."

He couldn't stop her this time as she lurched forward, grabbing on to his blazer.

"Don't say that Phil. I love you! You're my little boy… of course I love you."

"Yeah?" Philip flinched, shrugging her off, "well you've got a funny way of showing it."

He ignored Melissa calling his name as he practically ran up the stairs. Philip wasn't going to look back now, because she certainly wouldn't have done that for him if the roles had been reversed.

….

Rachel had somehow managed to avoid Max for the most part of the morning. It was now approaching lunchtime, and she knew it was too good to be true. He was bound to make an appearance soon.

She was just glad that Eddie was on a free, sat beside her at the desk. Not that Max would think twice about telling him to get out when he walked in. It just made Rachel feel far more at ease.

"Wonder where the maniac is today then."

"Considering we are meant to be sharing this office now, I could not tell you. He's probably spending the duration of his morning with Melissa."

"Oh how very professional of him?"

Rachel couldn't help but smile now. It was true. Max definitely had a nerve calling her and Eddie unprofessional when he brought Melissa in with no interviewing whatsoever. It would be interesting to see if the LEA knew of their partnership. Something Rachel would have to investigate. Just she would need more evidence, before she went in all guns blazing. It would be extremely easy for Max to just deny her accusations. But maybe if the LEA did know, they wouldn't be as keen to _applaud his decision_, as Max had put it.

"My thoughts exactly."

"Have you actually seen Melissa this morning?"

"Unfortunately," Rachel raised her eyebrows, "I had a rather awkward encounter with her in the staff room. Let's just hope Philip hasn't crossed paths with her."

He hummed in agreement, "it's bound to happen sooner or later."

Their conversation was cut short by Max making an entrance. Just as Rachel had thought the previous day, he most certainly didn't knock. She knew that her Max-free morning was too good to be true.

"What's bound to happen?"

Rachel and Eddie shared a look and she knew him so well that she could just tell that he was dying to say something like 'my fist is bound to collide with your face.' It would just be an Eddie thing to do in that situation. Rachel swallowed down her laughter and brought her gaze back up to Max's, attempting to paint on the most neutral expression possible.

"Don't worry, it's nothing that you will need to concern yourself with."

Rachel guessed that he was wanting to argue back, but she could also tell that there was something else he was going to criticise her or the pupils for.

"Never mind. I've got something else to concern myself with. Bolton Smilie. He has just sexually assaulted Amy Porter in the toilets."

"What?" She said as she stood up.

Rachel didn't need to turn to Eddie to know the expression that would be on his face. Bolton had turned a massive corner in the past two years, this was utterly out of character for him. Eddie would be just as taken aback by this as she was.

"Well where's Amy got to now?"

Eddie had stood up and was now rounding the desk towards Max. She knew he was trying to work out what on earth had gone on here. Just like Rachel was. Because they both knew how unlike Bolton this seemed.

"She's in with Kim."

"I'm sorry Max… but I just can't believe this of Bolton, can you Eddie?"

"It's completely out of character."

"Well let's just stick to the facts shall we," Max snarled, looking between them both.

Rachel was about to retaliate but it looked like Eddie had beaten her to it.

"Yeah, we should. And I'll tell you some facts about Bolton. All that boy is capable of, is low level disruption. He's turned himself around under Rachel's leadership."

"Low level disruption, is exactly the sort of behaviour that shouldn't be tolerated. Clearly, you both don't know that."

If at all possible, Eddie's scowl intensified. Rachel knew that Max had riled him up again, and she longed to step forward and place a hand on his arm. Something that she knew would calm him. But she also knew that it would be another thing to add to Max's list of unprofessionalism.

Rachel did step forward though and walk around the desk, hoping that her close proximity would be enough to stop Eddie from acting rash.

It worked and he turned to her as she was about to speak, his expression softening slightly.

"We are going to have to interview them both separately, so - ''

"It's likely that the police are going to have to be contacted once they have been spoken to."

Rachel knew that she was looking angered herself now, since Max had just interrupted her, and the frown on Eddie's face would most certainly be back.

"Okay… well let's start with talking to them both separately shall we? So I'll go and fetch Bolton, Eddie you go to Kim, tell her to get a full - ''

She was already walking out of the office but Max had followed her, once more interrupting her speech. Rachel turned around and knew she wouldn't have been able to hide the irritated expression on her face.

"I want you to let me lead this one. You do have a school to run after all."

"And surely this is part of that?"

"I can always bring Melissa in on it. I'm sure she would do an excellent job."

Eddie stepped forward now, making sure he was facing Max, "Melissa is head of extended services, this has got nothing to do with her."

"And Rachel is the head of this school. She has other responsibilities to focus on. Let's not forget who is in charge here."

Rachel had to think for a moment just how contradictory Max was being of himself. In one breath he was saying that she was incapable of running the school, and in the next he was putting her leadership of the school above everything else.

"Now if you'll excuse me," Max said as he stepped closer to her in the doorway, "I'll go and find Smilie. Eddie, you can talk to him with me and Melissa and Kim can get a statement off Amy."

Rachel could tell that Eddie wanted to refuse, to snap back to Max's comments. But he must have been remembering everything they had spoken about. Rachel actually took a small comfort from the fact that Eddie would be in with Bolton, at least he would give him a fair hearing.

"I should've seen this coming," Rachel turned to Eddie as Max stormed past her.

"How could you?"

"I should have known that Max would be like this. Try to… control everything and push me out."

"He's just… asserting his authority. The power has gone to his head. We just need to make sure, that we are making a record of all these little things. Soon, we will have enough evidence to show him for the man he really is. Just remember that he can't keep his pretend persona up forever."

"Yes… you're right, you're right. It's just Bolton I'm wracking my brains over now. This is just… so unlike him. Something's going on here, and I can't even find out what."

"You know I'm going to give him a fair hearing. Max isn't going to spoil everything we've achieved with Bolton that easily. Just leave it with me."

"Of course you will," she paused, looking at Eddie intently, "we can just be glad that Max didn't put you in with Melissa."

"Oh can you imagine? To be honest I don't know who's worse, Max or Melissa. They both make my blood boil."

Rachel smiled at Eddie as he placed a hand on her arm, repeating his earlier 'leave it with me' comment before walking away. She didn't know how Eddie did it, but he always said the right thing and could always calm her nerves.

She was left hoping that her instincts with Bolton were right. That he wasn't capable of something like this. Because the alternative would be something extra to add to the list of doom and gloom.

….

Philip knew that he had to say something. About how he knew that Bolton didn't do what he was being accused of by Amy. Philip had heard Amy and her little group of John Fosters friends plotting to stitch Bolton up. So Philip knew that he couldn't just leave it. Bolton was his friend for starters, and it would be morally wrong to let Amy get away with lying over something so huge.

But he was sitting in the library instead, questioning why on earth he couldn't work up the bottle to just approach someone about it. Yet Philip knew why. It was down to Max. Because he was leading the investigation for it and Philip would be throwing his attempts to avoid him out of the window.

Even as Philip felt sick at coming face to face with the man who used to hit him all those years ago, he couldn't stop thinking about Bolton. Word was that Max was getting the police involved. If that was true, there was no going back for him. Because Philip really didn't think that Amy and her clan were going to back down.

He was thinking over every other option. From getting someone else to do it, or an anonymous tip off. But neither of those would be as believable as Philip just going to tell Mr Tyler himself.

Once Philip had gone full circle with his thoughts, there was one musing that was standing out in his mind. He could not do that to Bolton.

So plucking up what little courage he had left, Philip made his way to his aunt's office. Perhaps hoping that Rachel would be in there rather than Max. But he knew he would have to speak with Mr Tyler eventually, since he had put himself in charge of it all. Just another one of the things Philip would have to accept.


	38. Light at the End of the Tunnel

_Thank you for the reviews. _

_Please enjoy :) x_

Chapter 38: Light at the End of the Tunnel

Philip's hand hovered on the door. He knew that Joyce was looking at him strangely. He would have to knock otherwise she would question it and then he would most definitely lose his nerve.

Philip almost turned and ran when he heard a male voice sound out to say 'come in.' And it most certainly wasn't Eddie's. It had to be Max. Philip just had to keep reminding himself that this was for Bolton and the implications for him could go as far as life changing if he didn't do this.

Awkwardly smiling at Joyce, Philip pushed the door open. He didn't quite know what to expect. Did Max know who he was or not?

"What do you want Ryan, people more important than you are arriving soon."

_Oh yes, Max definitely knew who he was. _

And those more important people had to be the police. So everything being said was true. Despite the way his pulse was currently racing, Philip was glad that he was here to tell the truth. Especially when the police were definitely getting involved.

For some reason the fact that he'd done the right thing, and hadn't lost his courage, gave Philip the confidence to step further forward into the office.

"So erm.. you do know who I am then?"

"Yes," Max stood as he buttoned his blazer, "not quite the doting little boy now are we?"

Philip gulped as Max rounded the desk. He really wished the man hadn't stood up. It had instantly shattered any confidence he had just gained.

"Look erm… I'm here about what's going on with Bolton. Not… not that."

"Ah. And what have Smilie's wrongdoings got to do with you?"

"I heard… Amy," Philip didn't make eye contact with Max at all, avoiding his gaze at all costs, "and Siobhan and all them. They stitched him up."

"I find it hard to believe Ryan, that the girls from John Fosters would do such a thing. It's far more likely that your cronie Bolton Smilie, is guilty. Now if you don't mind, I want you to leave."

"You… you don't understand."

"And what makes you think that?"

Philip knew his eyes were darting all over the place now. And his mind was too, searching for something to say. Max was close to him, too close. All of a sudden Philip did feel like a vulnerable five year old again.

"And don't even think about running to your auntie. Because she will be out of a job before you can say another word."

Max's face was inches away from his now. Philip was dying to turn and run but he had an awful feeling that Max was about to grab hold of him either way.

"And I will ensure that you have absolutely nothing to do with Mollie Ryan. Do I make myself clear?"

Philip was about to respond when Max bunched up his shirt in his fist. It was expected but still caused Philip's heart to leap. It really was all too familiar to when he was a five year old. Philip just hoped that his mum was right to some extent. Maybe Max wouldn't go as far to hit him now.

"Do I make myself clear?" Max repeated, raising his voice slightly now.

"Yes sir. Yes."

"Good. Now get out of my sight Ryan. I do not want to see you here again."

Max let go of him with an audible thud, and Philip finally allowed himself to breath again. He turned and practically ran out of the room as soon as Max said his last sentence.

Philip didn't know whether it was a good or bad thing that he ran straight into Eddie and Rachel as he emerged from the antechamber. He hadn't really thought about what he was going to do yet. Despite what Max was saying, should he tell them?

The reminder of the police and how against Bolton Max seemed to be popped into Philip's mind. Along with a little bit of reality. Surely Max couldn't just fire Rachel for no apparent reason? And they could stop him from taking Mollie, couldn't they?

"Philip?" Rachel asked, concern colouring her tone, "what on earth's happened?"

He didn't answer, instead awkwardly shuffled on the spot, glancing from the floor to the window and back.

"You look really pale mate. Let's get you some water."

As Eddie walked past him towards the office, Philip acted on impulse.

"No!" Eddie and Rachel turned around to face him, confused at his sudden outburst, "I mean… I'm fine."

Rachel stepped forwards now, placing a hand on his arm, "you do know that you can talk to us about absolutely anything? And I mean that."

"It's just that…" Philip gestured towards the office, but the words couldn't quite emerge from his mouth. He could see a vision of Max in front of him, telling him to keep his mouth shut.

"Has this got something to do with Mr Tyler?" Eddie questioned, instantly picking up on Philip's movements.

"No…" Philip spoke warily, and Rachel tilted her head at him, looking a mixture of confused and concerned, "can we just… go somewhere else?"

Philip watched as they exchanged a glance before Eddie agreed to going to his empty classroom. They obviously knew that something was going on. Philip would just have to be completely honest with them, and hope that they would have some hard evidence against Max soon. Rather than their word against his.

"So what's going on Phil?" Eddie asked as soon as they were all perched on desks in his classroom.

Weirdly, he was taken back to the day when his mum left him. When Rachel, him and Melissa had an argument. They had all been sat on desks then and it kind of solidified for Philip, just how far he'd come. It made him realise that he owed this to a lot of people. He owed it to Rachel for being there twenty four seven like his mum never was. He owed it to Eddie for always sticking by him too. And most significantly right now, he owed it to Bolton for eventually becoming one of the better friends he'd had.

"All this stuff with Bolton. He didn't… he didn't do it."

"Okay… and how do you know that?" It was Rachel asking now, glancing at him expectantly. Philip couldn't hold anything back, he had to finish what he had started now.

"I heard Amy and some of her friends, planning to drop Bolton in it."

He watched as the two adults exchanged another glance and Rachel huffed out a breath. Philip knew what they were going to ask next and he wasn't sure if he was ready for that. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to remember that he had to be completely honest with Rachel and Eddie, because they would help. They always did.

"And has something else happened?"

"I went to see… Tyler…"

Philip stopped. He couldn't go any further with the vision of Max reappearing before his very eyes. He knew that Rachel and Eddie would be even more concerned now. But at least Bolton wouldn't be getting into trouble for something he didn't do. Philip just had to hope that he was right to question how easily Max could really get rid of his auntie, and right to question if he could really just take Mollie away in the blink of an eye. Because the alternative wasn't worth thinking about.

Rachel had moved from where she was opposite him now, shifting to sit next to Philip and placing an encouraging arm on his shoulder.

Seemingly it worked for Philip, and he drew his head up from his hands, only to be met with a supportive look from Eddie too. Their two demeanours combined told Philip everything he needed to know. He had done the right thing by telling them everything. Because they would be able to help him now like he had thought. And maybe this meant they were one step closer to ridding their lives of Max Tyler.

Philip also thought about the conversation had with his mum that morning. Something she said along with Max's threats stood out in his brain. _She's our daughter Phil. _All along Rachel had been thinking his mum was back as some form of revenge on her, and Philip had thought that too. But maybe her reasonings for returning were different. They wanted Mollie back.

"He threatened me. Saying he would sack you Rach. And then… Mollie. Said I wouldn't see her again."

"Remind me how this man actually got into teaching again?" That was Eddie talking, sounding extremely angered by it all. Rachel hummed in agreement as Philip ran over what words he was going to say next in his mind.

"I saw mum this morning as well."

Rachel sighed, "you don't seem to be having much luck today then."

"More like this year," he attempted a smile but knew it was half hearted, and Rachel just looked even more worried.

"I don't think… mum's back for revenge on you. I don't think… that's what it is."

Rachel and Eddie remained silent but were obviously listening intently, giving him the opportunity to continue.

"It makes sense now… the threats. They're here to take Mollie away from Julie."

Rachel stood up, followed by Eddie who came forward to place his hands on her shoulders.

"We will deal with it Rach," Philip heard Eddie say.

She nodded slowly but Philip wasn't quite sure if she believed that.

"I need to inform the police about what Philip's told us, regarding Bolton."

"Then I'll come with you," Eddie responded instantly, "do you need to be getting to lessons Phil?"

"Yeah… erm, let me know what happens."

"Of course we will," Rachel responded.

They walked towards the door before Eddie turned and smiled at Philip, "well done lad, you've done the right thing."

Philip hoped that Eddie was right. He hoped that this would go in their favour. He probably wouldn't forgive himself if Max's threats became a reality.

….

"At least Amy came clean," Eddie commented as they arrived home.

"I just dread to think what would have happened if she didn't… or if Philip didn't hear those remarks."

Eddie was about to respond when he noticed the way Rachel was looking at him.

"Do you think if Amy had not confessed, and we had to let them know about what Philip told us… do you think Max would have followed through with his threats?"

Eddie couldn't stop himself from sighing, it was something he had been thinking over himself, and it just made him even more angry. To think that Max had the mindset of removing Rachel as head and stopping them from seeing Mollie.

"It's hard to know. But I don't see what grounds he could have fired you on. It's not as simple as that, try not to worry."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and she rested her chin on his chest, looking at him lovingly. Eddie brushed some hair behind her ear, thinking about what else Philip had said.

"Have you spoken to Julie?"

"Not yet. I'm going to ring her now actually. I just… don't want to panic her. Because I know she will. That girl means the world to her."

"And she knows you're there for her," Eddie spoke, keeping his hand by the side of her face, "we aren't going to let them take Mollie away from her."

"How do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"Calm my racing thoughts."

"Because I know you."

She hummed, agreeing with him.

"And I'd do anything for you. For the woman I love."

Eddie felt his own grin widening as Rachel's mouth broke out into a genuine smile. He made a vow to himself to try and put some time aside for the two of them in the next week or so. She definitely needed the break and some time to relax. And of course they needed some time to themselves too.

"You caught me off guard there Lawson," she grinned, blushing as she broke away from him slightly and took his hand, "but I'll let you off since I love you too."

Eddie was about to draw Rachel back in towards him when she turned her attention to her mobile, that was ringing. She muttered something about it being Julie and answered it panicked. Eddie guessed that they wouldn't be taking their coat and shoes off anytime soon.

Rachel ended the call about a minute later, telling Julie that they were on their way. Eddie didn't have time to ask what had happened before she was taking the car keys out of her pocket.

"We need to go and see Julie. Max has only been around there asking where Mollie is."

"He's living life dangerously then," Eddie quipped back as they began to make their way out of the door.

Philip's voice had them turning back briefly, explaining the situation to him. He replied with a similar comment to that of earlier in the day, asking them to let him know. It was clear that he was just as concerned about the situation as they were, and Eddie's heart went out to the boy. He just hoped that as with Rachel, he could somehow help him to relax slightly in the coming weeks.

….

"Threatening all sorts he was. I didn't know who he was at first, with never seeing him before."

As Julie began to recall everything that Max had said, Rachel couldn't deny that it did sound like exactly the kind of thing he would do. She could tell that Eddie was having similar thoughts.

"And where's Mollie now?" Eddie questioned.

"She was upstairs when Max came round. Good job as well. He was asking where she was, I had to say she was out with friends. I'm surprised she didn't come down actually…"

"Well you're right," Rachel began, "it's a good thing she didn't."

"It was horrible to spend only five minutes in his presence. He left when I threatened to ring the police. How do you two even cope with him at work all day?"

Rachel raised her eyebrows followed by Eddie saying, "we don't."

Rachel was becoming increasingly irritated that they didn't yet have any concrete evidence against Max. They would have to contact the police about him coming round, surely they would do something. It was just, if they had reason to believe Max, Rachel didn't know what else he was capable of. Because she was certain that Melissa would give him an alibi. Probably the reason she didn't turn up with him.

"Our only option is to contact the police," Rachel sighed, "with hope they'll find something to prove he was here."

The three adults were too distracted to notice the fourth presence that had appeared in the doorway. But as she began to speak, they all looked up and saw Mollie, with a mobile in hand.

"There's no need. We've already got something. Well I do. I recorded everything sitting on the stairs."


	39. Goodbye Max Tyler

_Thank you for the reviews. _

_I mentioned a few chapters ago that this story was probably going to be 40 chapters long. That actually went to plan, so there will only be one more chapter after this one. _

_I hope you enjoy :) x_

Chapter 39: Goodbye Max Tyler

A laugh let out from Julie only highlighted what Mollie had actually just said. Finally, they had the concrete evidence against Max that they needed. Maybe not to prove him guilty of actions against Philip, but it would most certainly be enough to get him out of teaching and out of their lives.

"Don't think my lack of common sense and terrible instinct rubbed off on you then?"

Rachel brought herself back to the present as Julie spoke and made her way over to Mollie. It was beautiful to watch on as an embrace happened between the two. As Rachel shared her own moment smiling with Eddie, for the first time in several weeks she allowed herself to wholeheartedly believe that everything would turn out just fine.

"Where do we go from here?" Julie questioned as she broke apart from Mollie, remains of a smile still evident.

"Well, I either contact the LEA and inform them now… or…" she glanced at Eddie, wondering if he had caught on with her train of thought.

He had, and Rachel couldn't help but mirror the satisfied smirk which played across his lips before he concluded her previous sentence.

"The LEA meeting tomorrow."

They turned back to Julie to be met with a rather confused expression, so Rachel took it upon herself to explain.

"We will be three days into the merger tomorrow. The LEA are coming in for a brief meeting with Max, Eddie and I to discuss any teething problems. Of course Mr Tyler called the gathering, and he will no doubt have a list of faults as long as his arm."

Rachel felt Eddie's hand on the small of her back and let herself smile even more. Like Eddie had said with Stuart those few years ago, she did feel like a proverbial weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Except this time, Rachel didn't really have any worries that it would all go terribly wrong. And she usually trusted her gut instinct.

"Well Mr Tyler can stick his arm long list where the sun doesn't shine," Eddie joked. Rachel was glad to see that Julie and Mollie laughed along, it was clearly an enormous relief for them also, "it doesn't matter now. Because Mollie over here is a genius."

The girl laughed again, mirroring everyone else's expression in the room, "just shows how much I don't want him in my life. Really didn't want to end up with him and Melissa."

Mollie's voice turned a little tense at the mention of what could have happened, and Julie must have sensed it too. She wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulders, pulling her in close for a moment.

"You don't need to worry yourself about that now Mol. You aren't going anywhere."

A comfortable silence elapsed for a few moments whilst they all shared equally relieved expressions. Rachel remembered Philip in that moment, and hoped this was a sign that things were looking up for him as well as the rest of them. But she did know that some difficult conversations with Melissa were inevitable.

"Right, well we'd better get going," Eddie spoke, once again his hand made contact with her back.

"Yes and inform Philip of this latest development."

"I'll just wish that I could be a fly on the wall in that meeting tomorrow," Julie joked as they reached the door.

"I'm sure Rach will happily recount it all, as will I."

They all shared a goodbye and a final smile, Mollie agreeing to send the recording, before Rachel followed Eddie out of the house. The pair just looked at each other for a moment as they walked back to the car, grins never dropping.

"I certainly wasn't expecting that," Rachel eventually voiced.

"Well, I think we can take it. Mollie is a clever kid."

Rachel hummed in agreement, "let's just hope this is a sign that things are about to start looking up. Especially for Philip."

"Of course it is," he paused as they reached the car, "personally, I can't wait to see the smug gits face when we play that recording tomorrow."

"Likewise."

"What about Melissa? Reckon she was involved?" Eddie asked as they took a seat.

"Honestly? I wouldn't put it past her. I do think… this is going to lead to some rather difficult conversations between her and Philip."

"And we will deal with it," Eddie smiled, placing a hand over Rachel's, "just like we've dealt with this."

"Of course we will."

….

"You've got this," Eddie leant forwards to whisper in Rachel's ear as they approached the room, "I'll let you take the lead."

"Most definitely," she turned around briefly, giving Eddie a smile.

He could tell that she was still nervous about everything. Of course she was, so was he. But Eddie was more than confident that this would go in their favour. There wasn't much Max could do to stop that happening when they were armed with undeniable evidence. It would just be interesting to see the LEAs reactions to their not so perfect executive head.

Even though Eddie knew that they were about to bring Max's speech down in flames, it still angered him to hear what he was saying as they entered the room. If just under a dozen LEA members hadn't been in the room, he would have certainly taken the opportunity to finally punch Max. Just like he had been wanting to do all week.

"We are only three days in, and this place is obviously an absolute shambles. I have included a report about how incompetent Rachel Mason is as a leader. The main reason I called this meeting."

"Well, before you have a read of that," Rachel interrupted as she took a seat, "maybe you'd like to see what I've got to share with you."

The faces of all in the room were both confused and intrigued. And then Eddie's eyes landed on Max. He was looking rather concerned. And rightly so. This was about to bring his dazzling career down in flames.

A pin could have been heard dropping as Rachel removed her phone from her pocket. All eyes were on her and it was just a sense of anticipation for what was actually going to be revealed. Eddie took great satisfaction in knowing exactly what was going to be said as Rachel clicked play.

"_If you don't give me my daughter, I can assure you there will be severe consequences. For you and your new little cronies. Rachel Mason will be out of a job before you can say a word. So where is Mollie?" _

They didn't need to head any more. The voice was clearly Max's and there was no way he could deny it. Many of the LEA were now looking extremely horrified, some looking awkward and obviously thinking about how to handle this. Max however, was appearing increasingly uncomfortable.

"So, Max," Rachel said as she placed her phone down, "would you like to tell me… or all of us… at what point you thought threatening the adopted mother of your daughter would be an acceptable thing to do? May I add, the daughter whom you haven't seen since she was three months old."

"Surely you aren't going to believe this," Max turned to the head of the LEA, completely ignoring Rachel, "they've quite clearly set this up."

Eddie couldn't stop the scoff, it was already on the tip of his tongue having seen Max's facial expression.

"I'm afraid the only clear thing is the voice on that tape. Max, you cannot shy away from that," that was James, the head of the LEA speaking, looking at Max in disbelief.

He didn't respond, so Eddie guessed that James took it upon himself to continue.

"We have no other option than to suspend you. Of course, pending investigation. But you have to see what you've set yourself up for here. It is unlikely that you will teach, ever again."

Discreetly, Eddie shared a look with Rachel. He was glad to see that her expression was looking just as relieved as he guessed his own would be. And it was obvious she was trying her utmost to conceal a smile.

Eddie couldn't help but think how extremely fortunate they were to have caught Max out this early. He clearly came into the school, set out to ruin everything they had worked for and take Mollie from Julie in the process. He found it strange though, how much of a backseat Melissa had taken. Considering she had been back for over twenty four hours now. She always liked to have her impact. But he was sure they would find out the story behind that. Because as Rachel said, there were some conversations to be had with Melissa.

Eddie knew that like him, Rachel would have taken great satisfaction from the way James told Max he would have to be off school premises by the end of lunchtime. It was just the icing on the cake. An ending to Max's behaviour that could have spiralled out of control even further.

….

It wasn't until just before the end of lunchtime that Max made an appearance in Rachel's office. She had been expecting him sooner, to collect his belongings. But was overly glad that this was when he had decided to come, because Rachel didn't like how angry he looked, and the only reason she felt calm was due to Eddie by her side.

"I would like to bet that you two have been planning this all week."

"No," she responded, "you can't hold us accountable, Max. You only have yourself to blame for this."

He smirked and Rachel felt on edge when he turned straight to Eddie, coming to stand directly in front of him. It was the glint in his eye that Rachel didn't like the look of. It was the same glint she had seen so many times before. The same glint that was in Stuart's eyes before he made his comments. So maybe that was why she could hazard a guess at what Max was about to say. She just wasn't sure if Eddie would be able to rein in his anger quite as well as he had been doing all week.

"Why do you even work here? Why are you even with her? Can't really see the attraction myself."

Eddie eyed him suspiciously and tilted his head. Rachel wondered if Max had noticed the way Eddie's fists clenched and unclenched as he brought them from his pockets. She guessed not, from the way he followed through with his remark.

"Was just thinking that it might have something to do with her former profession. You know, special discounts for members of staff."

The way Eddie gave her a look mirrored the way he did it that day with Stuart. She knew he was about to do exactly what he'd been wanting to do all week. And frankly, she wasn't about to stop him.

Max stumbled backwards, wiping the blood from his lip as he eventually stood.

"Get out Max," Eddie spoke, "as you've been instructed to do."

Rachel was actually surprised when, with one final smirk, Max did just that. She did worry for a brief moment that he would run straight to the LEA, but he was far from the successful executive head they had previously viewed him as. Rachel didn't think that even he would have the nerve.

"That's the last we will be seeing of him," Eddie said as he turned back to face her.

Rachel didn't stop herself as she stepped closer to Eddie, placing both of her hands on his chest.

"I am so glad to hear you say that."

Eddie's hands landed on her hips as he smiled in response. He closed the gap between them without a second thought. His lips met hers, and Rachel was so glad to say that they had finally seen the back of Max Tyler, and she still had the love of her life, here in her arms. It was only Melissa they had to deal with now. That was if she hadn't ran off again, with Max. But either way, it was something that as always, they would deal with together.

….

Philip didn't know what to say to his mum when she rang him. Part of him didn't even want to pick it up when he saw her name. Another part of him wanted to end the call as she said hello. He had heard the news about Max from Eddie and Rachel as soon as they had all arrived home. Of course, it was such a big relief.

Even the evening before, when he found out about the recording, something in the back of Philip's mind had told him that it wouldn't be the end. But maybe, just maybe, this was the end now. And maybe one day Philip would find some justice for what Max did to him all those years ago. Or find it in him to reveal what he had suffered to the police.

But for now, Philip felt genuinely happy and relaxed for the first time in a long time. That, along with many other reasons, was why he felt reluctant to pick up the call from his mum, or why he had the urge to cut it off. But as Rachel had said to him earlier, they did have some conversations to have. They were inevitable. Maybe it was better to get them over with sooner rather than later.

"_Let me come over Philip. I want to talk to you all,_" was one of the first things Melissa said.

"That's not up to me…"

"_Well I'll ask Rach. I'll see you later." _

With that, she ended the call herself. Once again, Philip found his mum's behaviour odd. He wondered, if Rachel didn't want Melissa here, if he would ever see or hear from his mum again. Philip wasn't sure if she cared that much to persevere.

But he didn't need to find out. A quarter of an hour later, Rachel was in his room, telling Philip that his mum had text and they'd agreed to her coming over.

He could tell that maybe it was the last thing she and Eddie wanted to do. But Philip knew that she was putting him first, like always. Because she could probably guess that deep down, he did actually want to have those conversations with Melissa. Even just to put his mind at rest. And to put this whole period of his life to bed.

The discussion between Rachel, Eddie and Melissa was minimal when she arrived. In fact, Philip was sure that Eddie hadn't said a word. He didn't blame him and could tell that Rachel was only making an effort because Melissa was her little sister. Just like he would only be making an effort because she's his mum.

Philip was too busy with his thoughts to properly register what was going on. But quite suddenly he was left alone in the room with Melissa. He could guess that Rachel and Eddie were giving them some space to talk. In all honesty, they did need it.

"Are you… you not with him now then?"

"He was playing me for a fool all along Phil. Said he was only with me to get Mollie back. When that's not worked…"

"He's left you. Like you left me. Doesn't feel that great really mum, does it?"

"I'm…"

Philip put a hand up, "don't… don't say sorry. Not if you don't mean it."

"But I do Phil, I do."

"But I wouldn't mean it if… if I said I could forgive you."

Melissa shifted so that she was sitting next to Philip on the couch. He almost got up and walked away, he couldn't bear to be in such close proximity with his mum. Not after everything she had done. But he had to remember what he told himself, he had to have this conversation with her.

She placed a hand on his arm, and Philip couldn't stop the way he flinched. The fact that she didn't even look hurt at the way he pulled away, told Philip that he was right to not forgive her. Because he would always have a doubt in the back of his mind about whether she really did care about him.

"Don't do this Phil. We've always got along great, you and I."

"Yeah… when you're actually around."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry Phil."

"Like I said… I can't… forgive you. Not that easily," he shook his head as she looked confused, "I'm sorry but that's how it is."

"Come and live with me again, now I'm back."

"Mum! Just stop… I want to stay here, with Rachel, and Eddie."

"Don't do this Phil. I'm in a really dark place right now. With Eddie leaving me… and then Max."

"Like I said… it's not the best feeling is it? Mum… the last few weeks haven't been the first time you've left me. Not as if I can be sure you won't do it again."

"Okay… well, have it your way. But you can't shut me off completely."

Philip so desperately wanted to bite back and say '_can't I?' _But he wasn't a spiteful person, and in his mind that was too far. Even after everything his mum had done. Maybe in time, he wouldn't mind spending some more time with her. But there was no way he was living with Melissa on a permanent basis. Not after everything Rachel and Eddie had done for him. It was clear who cared about him more.

"Maybe not. I'm not… sure yet. Just give me time, and maybe."

Melissa nodded, apparently accepting it. For once, she might have actually been putting him first. Putting what Philip wanted before what she wanted. He gave her a half smile and stood. Melissa obviously took that as her cue to leave, because she too stood, making her way towards the door.

It was then that Rachel and Eddie reappeared. Philip wondered if they had heard any of the conversation, but was sure he would tell them all about it if not. Because that was how much he trusted them and knew how much they genuinely cared for him.

He watched as his mum walked up to Rachel, practically blanking Eddie, placing a hand on her arm before saying, "look after him Rach."

"Of course I will, you know that."

They actually shared a smile which was full of mixed emotions. Philip wondered if, like him, Rachel was considering if she would ever feel ready to build up a relationship with Melissa again. Only time would tell.

But for now, Philip was content with the way things were. Because he had never felt more loved and supported than he did when with Rachel and Eddie.

….

"What a crazy couple of weeks," Rachel sighed contentedly as she flopped down next to Eddie in bed, resting her head against his chest.

Eddie hummed in agreement, knowing that he was grinning wildly at the way Rachel was snuggling into him, arm flopped across his torso.

"And I do think it could have been a lot worse."

Eddie wrapped his arm a little bit tighter around Rachel's waist as she spoke. She would always be a natural worrier, which meant that right now she would be thinking over what the worst case scenario could have been.

"I know it could. But that doesn't matter now. We are still here, together, and with Philip. That's all that matters. Thanks to Mollie for thinking on the spot."

Eddie could just tell that Rachel was smiling now too, and it was confirmed when she strained her neck and sat up slightly to look at him.

"They sounded just as relieved as us when I rang Julie."

"I bet. To think the poor woman has put up with threats from Melissa for a year."

Rachel agreed before her expression softened. It wasn't the first time that she had looked at him with so much love that Eddie thought his heart might explode, and he delighted in the fact that it wouldn't be the last.

By now he should have known what the look to his lips and back meant, but Eddie was too wrapped up in thoughts of Rachel. Everything about her and how sure he was that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. They had said it before, but Eddie was already thinking about how he longed to tell her that properly soon. That was most definitely something to think about.

At that thought, he smiled into the kiss she planted on his lips, allowing his hand to get lost in the incredibly scented hair he loved so much.


	40. Be My Once in a Lifetime

_The last chapter… thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed this story, and to anyone else who has been reading it. I really do appreciate it. _

_I've only posted a couple of fics but this has to be the one that I've enjoyed writing the most. Feels weird that it is coming to an end. _

_Please enjoy :) x_

Chapter 40: Be My Once in a Lifetime

Eddie was standing in a jewellery shop, gazing down at a ring he knew Rachel would love. He had been umming and ah-ing with the idea for several days now. Ever since they had been lying in bed together, when Eddie had vowed to himself that he would tell Rachel properly that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

Eddie had fallen asleep that night with thoughts of proposing to Rachel in his mind. He loved her with all his heart, and wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his days with her. And he was sure she felt the same. But that wasn't enough to hold back the nerves Eddie felt at the prospect.

"Are you going to take the ring, sir?"

The woman behind the counter had Eddie removed from his reverie. He bit the inside of his cheek, questioning to himself if he was really going to do this, if he was really going to take the final leap with Rachel.

"Yes, I'll take it. Thanks."

Eddie noticed the bemused expression on the woman's face and he suppressed a chuckle himself at how evident his anxiousness probably was. But she had most likely seen this more than a dozen times before.

He left the shop with plans flying around in his mind - how to do it, when to do it, where to do it. Eddie just wanted it to be perfect. Because that's what Rachel deserved, and he wanted her to know that.

With everything that had occurred in recent weeks, Eddie hoped that him proposing would show that he would constantly be there for her, forever. He wanted it to be a mark of everything he felt for Rachel.

He eyed the box as he reached his car, smiling to himself as he thought about everything it could bring. As Eddie slid the box into his pocket, he felt an idea of how to go about it all forming in his mind.

He thought back to their first proper date, as he had called it at the time. Eddie remembered just how much Rachel had loved it there, and the conversations they'd had about going back there in the future. Well, now they had the perfect excuse. It would be last minute, but Eddie decided to chance his arm at booking the restaurant for this evening, as well as an overnight stay.

He drove with musings about the evening ahead very prominent in his mind. That along with a replay of their first proper date together. Eddie recounted almost everything about the evening in his mind. That was when he decided upon something else to surprise Rachel with, that was if she said yes. Only time would tell, and he had a few things to put in place before the evening went ahead.

….

It was a few hours later when Eddie had booked everything, he now just had to get Philip on his own. Ever since Melissa had initially left the boy, Eddie had treated him like his own, he and Rachel both had. So it was more than fair to say that he was a huge part of their lives. Which was why Eddie felt like he needed his approval for the proposal just as much as Rachel's.

"Hi mate," Eddie greeted as he entered Philip's room. He wondered if Rachel had guessed that he was up to something. It was probable, considering the way he'd been sneaking around trying to get everything organised. Eddie planned to tell her of their night away, and put it down to a righteous end to a difficult couple of weeks rather than him asking her to be his wife. So he hoped that if Rachel was curious, she would see it as him planning their evening together, and not the latter.

"Hi Eddie, what's up?" Philip questioned, looking slightly confused as he removed his headphones.

"Well… the thing is…"

"Is this about your night away with Rach?"

Eddie saw the boy get slightly awkward once he had quirked an eyebrow in questioning.

"Thing is, I erm… heard you booking it, when she was in the shower earlier."

"Well that makes a whole load of sense," Eddie laughed.

For some reason he actually felt quite nervous talking to Philip about what he had planned. But it was just a mark of how much this meant to him, of how much he longed for both Philip's and Rachel's approval.

"So is that… what it is then? Romantic night away?" Philip chuckled, shuffling slightly in his seat.

"Sort of," Eddie ran a hand through his hair.

A silence fell and he knew he just had to say what he came here for. Eddie didn't want to chicken out of it now. He mentally shook himself as he once more thought over how nervous he was going to be later if this was his reaction now. How was he going to get down on one knee if he couldn't even reveal his plans to Philip?

"Look, you know how much Rachel means to me, don't you?"

Philip smiled, obviously slightly unsure about where Eddie was going with this, "well… yeah. Anyone could see that with the way you look at her really."

"What do you think about… me asking her to marry me?"

It was nothing other than a relief to see how Philip's expression instantly broke out into laughter.

"Honestly thought you'd have asked her by now."

"So you're okay with it?"

"Yeah. I haven't got a reason not to be. Thanks for… you know… asking."

"Your approval is just as important as Rachel's. I wanted you to know that Phil."

"Cheers Eddie."

Philip was blushing now, and Eddie hoped that was a sign that the boy knew how much he wanted him to be a part of their little family.

"Have you… got a ring?" Philip laughed, leaning forwards on his elbows slightly.

"I do actually. All week I've been… indecisive about it. Then this morning I made my mind up."

They paused a moment as Eddie brought the box out of his pocket, opening it so that Philip could see his ring choice.

"It's really nice yeah. Rachel will like it."

Eddie could feel his smile growing by the second, he was glad that he hadn't misjudged Rachel's style and that Philip thought the ring would be to her taste too, "let's hope so."

As Rachel called them up the stairs to ask if they were coming down for lunch, Eddie was glad that everything had gone to plan so far. Although it was the more tricky parts that remained. Next would be to broach the subject of a night away with Rachel. Something that Eddie was hoping she would grab with both hands.

….

Rachel's head was resting on Eddie's lap, and he was playing with her hair absentmindedly. He stopped and removed his hand for a moment, thinking about what he was going to say. Rachel didn't welcome the loss of contact apparently, she looked up at him with a mock glare. Eddie couldn't help but laugh at the expression on her face.

"What?" She questioned, laughing now herself.

Eddie shook his head, attempting to put on a semi serious expression, "nothing. But I do have something to ask you."

"This is all sounding rather interesting," Rachel spoke, raising her hand to clumsily brush it against his jaw, "what is it?"

"Do you remember… where we went on our proper first date?"

Rachel grinned at the memory, "how could I forget."

Eddie realigned his hand with her hair, running his fingers through it gently, "well, I know how little you've been able to relax these past few weeks. And I know how stressed out we have both been. So I've booked it. For tonight."

Rachel's face lit up instantly, and Eddie took that as a good sign. Little did she know what else he had in store. He just hoped that his question and everything that came with it would make her expression light up just as much as it just had.

She sat up now, placing both hands on his chest, grinning wildly.

"Do you know what Lawson, I'm sure I've said this before but… just when I think you can't get any more fabulous… you exceed yourself."

"You love it though," Eddie muttered against Rachel's lips, finding it irresistible to not mould their mouths together from the way her hands were trailing across his chest.

"I most certainly do," she mumbled before leaning in properly and getting lost in the feel of him.

….

Eddie was starting to regret deciding to wait until they got to their room for the night to pop the question. Just, he wanted it to be a special moment between them both. That was if it went to plan. He had decided to make the room that little bit more momentous than usual. Rose petals and candles were part of it. But this didn't avert from the box in Eddie's pocket that felt as if it was burning a hole in his leg. He wanted this to go right more than anything. Because this meant more to him than anything ever had.

Rachel's hand stretching across the table to take his own in hers, had Eddie refocusing his attention.

"Are you alright? You seem rather quiet?"

Eddie cursed himself, he really had to reign in how he was feeling about all of this. Before Rachel started guessing what was going on.

"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

She smiled at him, tilting her head slightly. It was a question in itself, she didn't need to say anything.

"I'm fine," he assured, "just thinking that's all."

It wasn't a lie, what he was about to say. Just maybe not the main reason he was being quieter than usual.

"About what?" Rachel asked lightly, stroking her thumb across the back of his hand.

"How lucky I am to be here with you. It feels… surreal, after everything that has happened since we were last here."

"Looks like I should listen to you more often. Because you did tell me that everything was going to be alright, and that we would resolve everything together."

"And I'm so glad we did."

Rachel grinned, "me too."

She looked thoughtful for a moment, glancing down at the table before looking back up at him.

"Do you think Philip is truly okay? After his talk with Melissa yesterday?"

"I think we could say that he is. He seems happy enough with the way things were left. I get the impression that he's working it all out."

"And he knows that we are there for him, doesn't he?"

"Exactly," Eddie couldn't stop himself from smiling, "now you are starting to sound like me."

"Oh, I don't think that's such a bad thing."

Suddenly, Eddie was no longer feeling so nervous about what he had planned. Not with the way he and Rachel were currently looking at each other. He was confident that everything would turn out just perfect.

….

They reached the door of their room, and Eddie gently turned Rachel to face him. She wondered what was going through his mind as he took her hands in his. Eddie was certainly acting different than usual, Rachel just couldn't quite put her finger on it.

She was more than happy to find out though, and found herself giggling as Eddie told her to close her eyes as they walked through the door.

Rachel didn't miss the way he leant forwards to make sure she felt his warm breath against her neck as he said, "open your eyes."

She felt a swell of affection and warmth as she did just that. All because of the man who was now standing in front of her rather than behind, grinning wildly. Rose petals were scattered around the room, and it was only lit by a dozen or so fairy lights and the odd few candles.

Rachel couldn't stop her mouth from gaping open before she began to laugh, and allowed her eyes to finally settle on Eddie. She took a step closer to him, unable to resist doing so now. Not that she ever found it easy to resist that.

"What's all this for?" She whispered, not wanting to break the somewhat magical moment.

Eddie glanced down, surprisingly shyly. That was until Rachel hooked a light finger under his chin and their gazes met once more. She hoped the soft smile she gave him was enough to retain that look. It was, and as he took a hold of her hands, Rachel didn't think she had ever been as happy before.

To her surprise, he let go of them, shuffling backwards slightly. Rachel was curious now, but Eddie looked like he had words on the tip of his tongue, so she held her breath, waiting for what he had to say.

"Rachel… I'm not really all that great with words. I'm a maths teacher, as you so very kindly pointed out on the day I met you."

She giggled but otherwise remained silent, wondering the direction he was going with this.

"But I do know how much I love you. I think we both know that I was aware of that long before we got together. I've told you before… that I would be the happiest man alive if I could spend the rest of my days with you. And I want to tell you that properly now."

Rachel could sense the tears gathering in her eyes. And they were most certainly happy ones. Her breath caught as Eddie reached forwards just enough to take her hand with one of his. He brought it up to kiss it, lips lingering on her skin for longer than she would have expected. Not that she was complaining.

Eddie stayed silent for several moments, his eyes resting on her features. Rachel couldn't take the way her heart was pounding in her chest for much longer. She brought her free hand to rest upon his cheek before speaking, "Eddie?"

Eddie still didn't speak, just simply smiled at Rachel, still holding on to her hand whilst his other one reached into his pocket. Rachel allowed herself to believe for just a second that this was going where she guessed it was. Just the thought made her slightly dizzy with joy.

As he took a step back, letting go of her hands, Rachel's went up to her mouth. She couldn't quite believe this was happening. It was just as Eddie had put it earlier, this felt surreal.

With the box in hand, Eddie knelt down on one knee, opening the box so Rachel could see its contents.

"I have never loved someone as I love you. Will you marry me Rachel?"

She was aware of the way she paused, it was just whilst she was replaying Eddie's words over in her mind. Because there was definitely no hesitation. Rachel saw him looking at her expectantly, but hoped in those few seconds of silence, that he was able to glean enough from her no doubt dazzling expression.

"Yes… yes of course I will."

Eddie stood now, grin growing by the second, "yeah?"

"Yes."

In an instant Rachel was scooped up in Eddie's arms as he spun her full circle. He lowered her to the ground, bringing his arms down to rest upon Rachel's waist as hers respectively wrapped around Eddie's neck.

"I love you too by the way. More than anything."

Eddie kissed her softly in response, but there was certainly a promise of passion and desire that would undoubtedly be present in the rest of their evening.

Rachel watched in awe as he turned his attention back to the box for a moment, removing the ring to place it on the righteous finger.

"Eddie, I absolutely love it."

"I'm glad. I thought you would. But Philip gave me the final reassurance."

"Philip?"

Rachel noticed that Eddie flushed slightly, looking down at the floor and back up at her.

"I kind of… broached the subject with him earlier today. Showed him the ring as well."

"Oh, Eddie. Thank you."

If at all possible, she fell in love with him even more upon finding this out.

"Oh erm," Eddie began, reaching into his pocket once more, to bring out an envelope with her name written on it, "this was for if you said yes. And you have so, I suppose I'd better give it to you."

Rachel opened the envelope with shaking hands, wondering what could possibly make the night even more amazing.

Eddie had only gone and bought them both tickets for a few days away in Paris, during the may half term.

Rachel looked back up at him, feeling herself becoming lost for words.

"Paris, because… of what you said. On our proper first date, about us going there one day. And maybe, just maybe, I'll try some snails. Just for you."

Her smile was uncontrollable now, and she was glad to see that Eddie's looked that way too. Finally, he drew Rachel towards him again, pressing their lips together. That night, their thoughts weren't only filled with one another, and how amazing it felt to be with each other. They were full of a future spent together, and everything that would bring.


End file.
